Getting Her Revenge
by Coilerfan35
Summary: Stranded and left with nothing, Angelica can't help but feel sorrow for her long lost ship. Though, she refuses to let it slip from her without a fight. Will Jack help her regain the Queen Anne's Revenge, or will emotional stigmas stand in the way?
1. After The Adventure

**An: So this is my first Pirates Of The Caribbean fanfiction, and my nervousness stops me from judging this story and categorizing it as 'good' or 'terrible'. Hopefully you'll be some help to me, and I apologize in advance for any mistakes, or out of character problems. I just couldn't stop myself from writing a story about Jack and Angelica. They're just too CUTE!**

**Twitter (in case you want to know any advances in my stories): twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

**All I ask is that you be patient with me. Like I said, I'm venturing into new lands with this one. **

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><p>Tortuga, the pirate safe-haven where men give new meaning to the word 'drunk', and the air itself smells like the finest batch of rum. The place where horny prostitutes run hungry, and men who tell stories both true and false, simply wait to be ravished and used to ease their hunger pains. That fabled port where pirates from near and far come to indulge in the company of their fellow friend, or enemy, and where their majestic ships can rest proud and tall without waiting to be destroyed by the armed guards of the King. Yes, Tortuga is a beautiful, beautiful place, and Captain Jack Sparrow couldn't be happier when his long lost <em>Black Pearl <em>pulled into port. Gibbs, his loyal first mate, stood beside him to share the feeling of joy; the sound of loud music, even louder people, and breaking glass bringing bright smiles to both of their faces.

"It's good to be back, ain't it Jack?"

"Aye," the Captain smiled, his hand rising to take in the last swig of rum sloshing in the bottom of his flask. "Very fine, indeed. I do believe that we both deserve a few weeks relaxation after everything that happened in this past fortnight."

"Aye," Gibbs laughed, smirking to himself as he moved to lower the walkway to the pier. "That woman of yours sure riled you up on more than one occasion. Or so I saw."

"No," Jack stated, swishing his hand through the air dramatically. "No woman can 'rile' me. I am Captain Jack Sparrow. I am never riled."

"Uh-huh, so all of those feelings you had for her...they didn't come back at all after spending all this time with her?"

"I'm telling you Gibbs, they were stirrings," he corrected, quickly walking his way off of his ship, and turning his attention to the large, magnificent pub resting right by the docks. "And no...they didn't."

"I know when you're lying Jack," his first mate pointed out; speaking nothing but truth. "I've sailed by your side for years, and even though you're an unpredictable man in action...I can tell how you feel about something. What ever happened to that female? Angie...Angela-?"

"Angelica," the captain corrected, that familiar pang in his chest making it's appearance as it always did when he spoke of her.

"Yeah," Gibbs nodded, smirking to himself as he pushed through the doors of the pub with Jack leading before him. "You never told me what happened to her."

"That's because I don't know what happened to her," Jack stated, looking over his shoulder momentarily, before accepting the rum from the man behind the counter and sliding easily into one of the tables nearby. "You see, Mr. Gibbs...I rowed Angelica out the white sand island in the middle of the trading paths...are you familiar with it?"

"I believe so, aye," his friend assured. "Though, it's difficult to see much on that island from a ship. The water surrounding the land is very shallow."

"Yes, well, I gave her a pistol with one bullet that she could use to alert a passing ship," Sparrow smiled, a smirk easily touching his lips as his finger ran around the rim of his glass. "She obviously wasn't smart with using it, but nonetheless, I gave her the option."

"Alright, well, what did you do? Just leave her there?"

"Precisely. I couldn't bring her with us. She's way too much to handle."

"I think yer lying to me, Jack," Gibbs prodded, sitting back and shooting back the smooth alcohol. "I think you abandoned her because you couldn't handle your...stirrings...for her. It's nothing to be ashamed about. Every man has fallen in love at least once in their life."

"And what did you do to that woman you supposedly loved, Mr. Gibbs?"

"Well, I had to leave," he shrugged. "She wanted me to stay with her, but the sea was callin' me back. I couldn't just abandon my ship for a dame."

"Interesting," Jack mumbled, before leaning forward on his elbows. "So tell me...why is my situation any different?"

"Because Jack, there are different kinds of love in this world," his friend reasoned, leaning forward to mimic his stance. "There's that kind of love you experience when you sleep with a woman you've just met, and then there's the love you get when you meet a woman who is perfect, despite every single one of her faults. Hell, she could sink your ship, and you would still love her."

"Lean back," Jack ordered, both of them sitting back as a drunken man fell onto their table; his body still for a short amount of time before he rolled off onto the floor. "You might be correct, but a life of a pirate is one filled only with treasure and the satisfaction of rising in the morning to look out onto the open sea. The only things you care about are your loyal crew, and your ship. Women are devils in disguise...beautiful creatures that master the art of deception the moment they are born."

"Aye, but ye be lost without them. Try to imagine your life without women, Jack. It would be terrible wouldn't it?"

The Captain sat there for a moment, trying to imagine such an occurrence. He tipped his flask back to his lips, and shivered slightly as pure warmth slid down his throat and into his stomach; his eyes focusing on something over Gibbs' shoulder that he really had no interest in. He tried to imagine what life would be like had he not met Angelica. Sure, she was nothing more than a young teenager, starving to marry herself to God when he met her, but there was potential in her that even he could see. She was always thin, and always beautiful, but below her delectable Spanish skin was pure muscle and ambition. There was a fire in her soul that would have been wasted on a path strictly devoted to worshiping some unseen God. And so, one night, he kissed her. He could recall that moment perfectly, for it stood out in his mind like a rich, English noblemen might stand out walking into the pub he was residing within. He had no intentions of using her; even in his mind, he saw her as a vision of innocence, but one night, resting with her under star light, it only seemed right to taste her lips. Simply touching his lips with hers that night brought an almost uncomfortable flutter to his stomach, which he had never experienced with any other encounter kissing a woman. Though, even more frightening than that, kissing her gave him the satisfaction that it seemed only sex would. Such truth was frightening, and still to this day, he never uttered those memories to anyone with the ability to hear.

"Jack!" Gibbs called, trying to gain his captain's attention. "Jack, are you alright?"

In truth, he wasn't. He refused to ever speak the words, but in all honesty, he missed Angelica. Her Spanish dialect was like pure honey against his ear, and as fights broke out around them within the pub, he would do anything to be able to hear that smooth, seductive voice against his cheek once more; drowning out the drunken slurs and idiotic statements. He could practically feel her in his arms again; sitting on the deck of her father's ship with her in his lap, speaking of past memories and future alliances in quick, hushed tones. "Yeah," he finally answered, his eyes closing momentarily as he tried to imagine the unique smell of her perfume. "I'm fine, Gibbs. I was simply imagining."

"Well, let's stop all that," his friend offered, nodding to one of the man carrying around a small barrel of rum to douse all of the patrons. He held their cups up and instantly they were filled and spilling over with delectable alcohol; a smile on their faces as they clinked their glasses together. "Cheers, to being a pirate."

Jack simply nodded, an appreciative smirk on his face as he nodded in concurrence and brought the rum to his lips. He didn't care about the feelings bubbling deep within his stomach, and he didn't care about the nagging need to wonder where she was that moment. This was his first night in Tortuga after another awe-inspiring adventure, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to become so drunk that he wouldn't even be able to find his ship for the next three days.


	2. My Life Doesn't Mean That Much

**An: Once again, I'm nervous. This is the first time I wrote for Angelica, and I don't know how well it turned out. Hopefully I'll get better with time and experience though.**

**The response to the first chapter was amazing, and I hope you'll continue to leave me kind words. Enjoy!**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>The rain was falling heavily as this foreign ship under her docked. She could feel the water rocking heavily under her, and as the few men she had practically enslaved ran for freedom, she couldn't help but feel disheartened at the vessel she was sailing. She was the daughter of an infamous pirate, and since the death of that infamous pirate, she believed that his ship was to be under her command. She was his first mate after all, but of course, something had to happen to complicate the simple things in life, and so here she was, pulling into the drunken harbor of Tortuga, armed with nothing more than a pathetic cargo boat she had 'caught' back on the island.<p>

She knew he would be here, but she didn't exactly know how she was going to go about asking him for his help. Hell, in the past couple of weeks she had put him through enough adventure to satisfy any other man for the rest of his life, but she had to admit...tackling this mission of hers, was going to need his assistance. The sound of music and drunken slurs stirred the alcoholic within her, and she wanted nothing more than to sit down and have drink after drink before she even began to plan for what she needed to do, but she knew she couldn't do that. She knew she had to find him, and she knew she had to act on her plan immediately if she was going to catch up with the one-legged man.

Opening the door of the pub to the wild world within almost brought a smile to her face. She saw joyous men dancing on tables, while their counterparts strummed a song both uplifting and memorable. They were traditional songs, one that every patron in the pub knew and could sing along to. The floors were slick with rum, and broken glass seemed to act as her trail through the sweaty hoards of men either being entertained by prostitutes, or telling stories in large circles. Nodding to the man tending the drinks, she accepted the rum extended towards her, but a familiar voice caught her attention before she could bring the edge of her glass to her lips.

Without even looking, she knew the scene. The man she was trying to find always attracted people, and behind her, she could tell that he was sitting in a circle of both men and women, fascinated to hear of his tales on the seven seas. No doubt that he was entertaining them with news of his latest adventure, telling them of the fabled fountain of youth, lost forever because of Spanish hands. The sound of his voice coupled with the seductive purrs of the starving whores around him made her sick to her stomach, and she simply pushed away the drink in front of her, before turning to leave the pub. Even as crowds of people circled around her, cutting her from sight, she could still feel his eyes on her back, and the sudden sound of a chair scratching against the floor sent her into a pace much quicker than the one she had before. She couldn't ask him to help. She couldn't bring him into this.

~*~*A+J*~*~

"Jack!" the sound of his first mate calling his name barely shook him from his reverie. "Where are you going?"

"I..I saw someone," the captain offered feebly. "I...I have to go. I'll be right back Gibbs, I just need to check this out."

"Yer drunk Jack!" his friend called after him. "It's a hallucination!"

"No it's not," he mumbled under his breath, pushing through the rapid groups of stumbling drunks and into the open air of the harbor; a soft rain pelting his skin as the sea air hit him square in the face. The sound of gulls and fierce, tossing waves drowned out any sound other than that coming from the pub, but further down the docks he could hear dainty footfalls he could pick out of any crowd. Not trusting himself to run, Jack paced forward quickly, keeping himself in a walk to make sure he didn't fall into the treacherous waters below. With the storm moving in, the harbors were dangerous; evident by the angry rise and fall of the many ships resting in it's deep waters.

Soft murmurs touched his ears, and in the fog of night, he barely noticed her busily working to steady her ship on the rungs provided for coming storms. Stopping where he stood, he stared at her; noticing a look of distress in her features, and an overall sense of fatigue in her actions. "Angelica," he whispered, attempting to gain her attention, but it seemed that she already knew he was there.

"Hello Jack," she replied without pretense, climbing back onto the decks of her ship, before casting down more ropes to steady her vessel. He stood there waiting, sure that she had more to say than just hello, but after long moments of silence between them, he assumed that his first assumption was incorrect.

"That's it? Just a hello for a dear departed friend of yours?"

"I doubt that we were dearly departed," she grumbled. "You left me on an island to find my own way back to civilization."

"You succeeded did you not? But...I must ask. Why Tortuga?"

"It's a popular pirate port, Jack," Angelica growled, her tone obviously defensive and uncharacteristically harsh. "Just because I show up when you are here doesn't mean anything other than we both had the same idea of where to relax."

"Well, it's obvious that you are from from relaxed," he teased. "Tell me the truth, Angelica. Why are you here?"

A rough sigh made it's way from deep within her lungs. Tying the final knot in her ropes and glancing over to the man standing cockily before her, she felt nothing but helplessness as the rain began to beat harder against her skin. Water from the harbor splashed up and onto the docks, dampening their clothes and chilling their skin. "You really want to know why I'm here Jack?"

"I believe that's what I asked you. Yes."

"I came here to ask for your help," the Spanish bombshell confessed, her dark umber colored hair snapping against her face and sticking to her neck. "I stole this ship, sailed to Tortuga, and intended to ask that you help me with one last thing...but I realized that I have asked too much of you already."

A frown touched his face as she climbed onto her ship, hoisting up her masts so that they wouldn't tatter in the wind. As water from both rain and sea fell from her cheeks in gorgeous, perfect rivulets, that darkness in her eyes finally brought a word to mind that he would have never thought Angelica could feel. Present in her shaking arms and slumped shoulders, Jack couldn't help but feel sorrow for this beautiful pirate stuck in a sense of complete and utter sorrow. She moved forward, trying to step around him, but his hand stopped her; trapping her in front of him, and refusing to let her go. "What were you coming to ask me, Angelica? What is it that troubles you?"

"You need not know of it, Jack," she answered, weakly twisting from his grasp. "I would rather not bring you into it."

"It's a little late for that, love," he shot back, stopping her once more when she tried to step off her ship. "What's going on?"

Angered by his never ending questions, her features steeled, and her back straightened to bring her to her full height. That fire he always saw in her flickered behind the fog of worry, all the while bringing the smirk on his face into a full blown smile. "Dammit Jack, I deserve to have that ship. It was my father's, and it was destined to be mine afterwards. I am nothing without the _Queen_, and I was going to ask you to help me fight the one-legged man to take her back, but it dangerous, and you have done enough for me already. I came here with every intention to ask...but when I saw you I just...I couldn't. So I will take her back on my own. I plan to begin recruiting soldiers tomorrow, and leave as soon as the storm clears out."

"You plan to take on Barbosa, in a cargo ship?" Jack asked, laughing incredulously. "This little..._Most Holy Trinity_ of yours won't stand two seconds against the _Queen._"

"I am aware of that, Jack," she whispered, that fire in her eyes flickering out as quickly as it had appeared. "But what is a pirate without her ship? I feel hollow on a vessel such as this. It is better off broken and battered in the bottom of the ocean, than sailing with me as it's captain. I want my ship back, and I don't care what damage I must take to achieve it."

"Angelica...if this is all you have behind you, you'll die the second you sail within the _Queen's_ firing range-"

"I know," she spat. "I'm not an idiot."

"You must be if you believe that you can do this without help."

"I never said that I believed I could do this," she corrected, sighing once more and letting her hand rise to scrub away the water falling into her eyes. "I only said that I needed to try...not that my survival is promised. Jack, you know enough. You don't need to help me, nor do you need to hear my problems. Go. Have fun and enjoy your time."

The hand he kept clasped between his own slipped away with ease, and he turned to watch her pick her way down the plank and onto the docks. She was almost to the edge of the long pier stretching out to sea, before he caught up with her, and stopped her from walking forward. "I'll help you," he whispered to her, his hand stretching across her stomach and settling against the curve of her waist to stop her from running.

Her teeth dug into her bottom lip as she looked further down port; the _Pearl's_ masts looming high in the air as she rocked up and down with the current. Her back pressed against his chest as she sighed once more, her sadness bubbling up within her as she imagined him watching his beloved ship sink under the tides. "I can't have you do that," she argued. "You finally got your ship back, and I fear if you go into battle with me, your beloved _Pearl_ will be destroyed. I refuse to be the reason of you losing your ship."

"I would rather risk my ship, than have you risk your life," he muttered, reaching up to gently take her chin between his fingers. "We'll gather a fleet. I know captains dying for an adventure. They'll gladly sail with us for the fun of it, and expect little in return."

"And what for the _Most Holy Trinity_?" Angelica asked. "How can we outfit a cargo ship, and ready her for battle."

"I know just the person to help with that," Jack smiled, pulling her back from a large wave rising to splash over the docks. "But until then, you must rest. You can sleep in my rooms down the road from the pub."

"And where will you sleep? You're being awfully nice to me Jack...are you sure you aren't after something in return?"

"Yes," he admitted, swaying gently in front of her. "I'm hoping you'll repay me by staying alive. It would be a shame if I went through all that trouble to give you a few more years of life and you simply throw them away."

"That seems like a fitting compromise," she smiled. "But I must make one thing clear."

"And what is that?"

"We will sleep in separate beds."

"I-well...I wasn't intending on...hm, that."

"Jack," she laughed, stepping ahead of him; a new bounce in her step at the thought of having the man she cared for demanding to risk his life to help her. "You're always so charming when you want something, and you're a man of free will. My life can't mean _that_ much to you..."


	3. Playful Banter

**An: Hopefully this chapter captures Angelica a little bit better.**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>Pushing open the door quietly was always a pain when it came to the dorm rooms at Tortuga. The hinges on the doors were always rusty, while the wooden slabs fashioned with knots and knobs hung heavy against their deteriorating supports. Care for these rooms was never really taken, except for a quick clean up when their patron set sail once more, which was why Jack cursed internally when he peeked into the room he had called his for the first few days of his trip.<p>

Resting with only the corner of the sheet over her hip, Angelica slept soundly with her whole body stretched out against the comfort the worn mattress provided. The wavy locks of her hair cascaded down her back, and he watched her slightly shiver against the cool breeze of the harbor coming in through the open windows. Stepping softly, he swore that intruding further into the room would awaken her, but once he stepped on a very loud, loose board, and she showed no signs of waking up, he assumed himself to be clear. A sudden surge of intimacy hit him uncomfortably as he turned to look at her barely clothed body, pliant and exhausted from physical and emotional stress. Her eyes moved behind her eyelids, and she shivered once more as a hard breeze struck her bare skin. He bent down to pick up the blanket that she had kicked to the floor; gently shaking the afghan out before he allowed it to cover her from the harbor gales. A soft smile turned up the corner of her lips, and the sudden urge to brush her hair from her face almost overtook him, before he pulled his hand back and turned to leave the room.

He had a meeting to get to anyway, and she deserved to sleep.

~*~*A+J*~*~

"Jack Sparrow!" a thin man with a gravelly voice called loudly as soon as the captain stepped into his offices. "Long time no see, dear friend. When did you get into port?"

"A week at most Benjamin," Jack answered, meeting his long lost friend in a strong hand shake. "I meant to come see you earlier, but considering the traditional festivities-"

"I understand, Jack," Benjamin laughed. He sighed and absently scratched at his cheek; depositing some of the oil under his nails onto his tanned skin. "So, what brings ye here? It's not often that you sail into Tortuga. Yer usually off on some adventure, or in prison."

"Yes, well I have managed to do both of those in the past couple of weeks, so I thought it only right to take some time off for awhile," Jack muttered, smiling with his friend who chuckled along with his story. "Though, I'm not here for a cordial visit."

"Ah, business then?"

"Business indeed."

"What do ye need, Jack? You know I would do anything for a friend."

Leaning forward on his elbows, Jack looked around at the other workers melting down and pounding at metal with heavy hammers. He cleared his throat quietly, and motioned for his friend to come near; their conversation lowering so that no one except for themselves could hear their words. "I've heard tales...myths...of ships that sail like galleons, but are fashioned from metal. They are made of iron, and are fierce weapons in battle...have you heard of such myths?"

"Aye," Benjamin nodded, stroking at the stubble against his cheeks. "I have. Others believe it not to be true, but I've taken a particular interest in the subject myself. I've been studying the architecture of almost every ship inside and out, and I have found that most of them can support much more weight than they already do. A large vessel like your own can be outfitted and plated in iron, as well as hold a heavy artillery and still sail with the best of them. It's a wonder brighter men than myself haven't figured that out yet."

"Intelligence is only a small factor of success, Benjamin," the captain assured. "Passion is your main sail."

"Aye. So, I'm assuming that yer here because you want me to try to build an ironclad with yer ship?"

"Not mine," Jack corrected. "A friend of mine."

"Is he a close friend?"

"Yes, she is."

A bright smile flowered on Benjamin's lips; soft, suggestive chuckles bubbling from deep within his lungs. "You dog," he mumbled, before leaning closer still. "Doing chores for the woman you fancy, eh Jack? I never pictured you a man as such."

"Because I am not," he spat quickly, the smile fading from his friend's face. "She is just a friend of mine. She needs help, so I'm giving her help. Her ship has been taken away from her, and she must go into battle to win it back. Her problem is that her ship is strong...much stronger than any other vessel that might come to your mind."

"And, I assume she has a vessel now?"

"Yes, it isn't hers, and it isn't meant for fighting."

"Cargo?"

"Yes," Jack nodded, sitting back and slinging his arm behind his chair. "If she goes into battle with a few measly cannons, and no protection, I might as well kill her tonight and save her the trouble."

"I understand yer request, and I'll be happy to help, but I would like to meet with her and look over her ship before I start working on it," Benjamin offered. "Price wise, the cost won't be too terrible. I have large piles of iron in the back I've no use for."

"Money is no trouble for me," the captain assured, standing as if to conclude their meaning. "I can pay whatever price you give me. It shouldn't be too terrible though. Her vessel is rather small."

"What small vessel emerges from a fight victorious?" Benjamin laughed, shaking his head and moving to one side of the room which housed large rolls of parchment he used for his sketches. "Don't worry, my friend. She will be ready for fighting in a fortnights time. I will speak with my brother as well. He crafts our weapons. I'll make sure she sails with enough fire power to sink whatever ship crosses her path."

"I will have my first mate sail her ship to your docks," Jack stated, making his way to the door in hopes of quickly emerging from the humid, hot interior of the building. "When her captain awakens, I will bring her as well."

"Aye," Ben nodded, following his friend outside and onto the small pier that led to his shop. "By then, I should have a basic outline of what my brother and I plan to do. As well as a price."

"Splendid," he smiled, waving his hand through the air in a gesture of thanks. "I appreciate you meeting with me Benjamin."

"It's nothing for an old friend," the smith assured, shaking hands with Jack once more. "I'll expect you here an hour after closing time. Right before the sun sets. It'll give us all privacy to discuss our plans without foreign ears listening to our words."

"Aye," Jack nodded, turning to look over his shoulder. Precious ships loomed a mile away, and even this far from the pub and Tortuga's harbor, he could still see the masts of the _Pearl_ stretching higher than any other around it. Her flags whipped with the wind, and a precious memory passed his mind as he remembered witnessing his majestic ship sailing on a never ending sea within a glass bottle. The loss that he felt when he learned the _Pearl _was somewhere unknown was crippling, and he wished for nothing more than to find Barbosa and convince him to take another ship so he could steer Angelica away from this massive naval war.

"Jack," Benjamin called, gaining his friend's attention after the fifth time speaking his name. "Does something else trouble you my friend?"

"Have you heard of a man named Barbosa sailing through Tortuga?"

"I believe so. I heard he left his ship out in the ocean, and sailed with his crew on long boats to stock up on food and drink before departing that same hour. I heard no tale of where he was going though. Why?"

"No reason. Thank you, Benjamin. I'll return before sunset."

"Make sure you bring this lady friend of yours," Benjamin teased once more, hoping he wasn't treading too much on a touchy area. "So I can sign this deal and make it official, of course."

"To make it official...of course."

~*~*A+J*~*~

Late in the afternoon, her chocolate colored eyes opened against the cool glow of the departing sun streaming in through the bedroom window. A soft throbbing made its presence known against her temples, and she groaned as she tried to move her incredibly stiff muscles. Her throat was sore and dry from her prolonged exposure to the rain, and as she sat up feebly in bed, she noticed that the blanket she had thrown to the ground during one of her heat flashes within the night, had somehow made its way onto her bed once more. She brought the fabric to her chest, and ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to grasp some sense of time. The air outside was cool after the storm, and a gentle gust of wind sent a violent shiver down her spine before gentle knocking was heard against her door.

Without her having to say a word, the loud door opened and revealed a one Jack Sparrow peeking inside. Seeing her sitting up and staring back at him with an amused grin on her face, he straightened, and strolled in proudly. "Good, you're up."

"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked, her voice nothing more than a husky purr as she rested back against the plethora of pillows on the bed.

"Since you feel asleep," he pointed out, smiling when her eyebrow crept towards her hair line and she simply glared at him from her curled position; hissing in annoyance.

"I mean what time is it,_ idiota insoportable_," she growled, sitting up and throwing the blankets away from her even though her clothing was few and far between.

"I see you're in a better mood today," Jack mumbled, his eyes darting down to trace the lines of her mile-long legs to her thin waist and predominant chest. Vague memories of years ago pulled to the forefront of his mind; his knuckle rising to his lips to stop the usual weakened groan that followed those memories.

"Stop staring," Angelica ordered, her hands working quickly to pull on the extra pair of clothes she had brought in the night before.

"You were covered when I walked in here-"

"And now I'm not," she said, buttoning her pants and grabbing her shirt before she walked over to the captain and pulled his bandana over his eyes. "Don't peek."

"It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"And it's nothing you're going to see anytime soon, so keep the bandana over your eyes," she said, turning him to assure her privacy before she tore away the small camisole-like garment covering her chest, and pulled her shirt over her head. With ease the rest of her clothes came on as well as her make up; her fingers running through her hair to bring the waves of soft brown locks to fall over the smooth skin of her shoulders. Turning to the side and smiling as she looked over her reflection in the small mirror in the room, she assured herself she looked amazing, and began walking for the door.

"Can I look now?" Jack asked, her body dodging his, but her perfume still lingering where she once was.

"Can you walk without looking?"

"Not very well."

"Then I suppose you have your answer," she said, already making her way down the stairs and out of the boarding house. He followed after her, slowly making his way into the harbor air where she was waiting for him, looking over to her ship further down the pier. "Did you talk to the man who you said was going to help ready my ship?"

"Not even a 'hello, good morning Jack. It's lovely to see you'? I liked you better last night. You seemed a lot more...human."

"Sorry to disappoint you," she said, her tone obviously betraying the exact opposite of her statement. She paced forward, and once more the captain followed her, his own annoyance growing as she made her way to her cargo ship and boarded. "Tell me, Jack. What have you arranged for her?"

"Why are you in such a hurry," Jack whined. "I can't function properly this early in the day."

"It's two hours before sunset," Angelica stated, turning to observe the sun's placement in the sky. "How is this 'early' for you?"

"Well, usually I get _really_ drunk, and then don't wake up until about this time."

An irritated huff shot from her nose, and her hands rose to settle on her perfect hips as she regarded him with a silent stare that seemed to dig into the marrow of his bones. In the last month, he had grown very familiar with that look, and he silently thanked whomever could hear his thoughts that she was being as patient as she was. "I talked with a friend of mine. He has plans for your ship, and I'm supposed to bring you, and your ship to his port so he can judge his plans."

"Why must we wait?"

"I ask again, what is the rush?"

"I know the one-legged man was here," she growled, her voice thick and fiery; full of rage and distaste. "When did he depart for the seas?"

"Four days ago-"

"Do you know where he is going?"

"Oh," Jack said, nodding in understanding. "I'm working on that."

"_Ay dios mio, obviamente usted está sentado aquí a discutir con mi! ¿Cómo voy a encontrar al hombre con una sola pierna si todo lo que hago es darme el infierno?_" she ranted, her words flowing together with the perfect Spanish accent on her tongue. Though he was dumbfounded, and unsure what she was saying, he couldn't help but muse about of how sexy she was when she spoke her native language.

"You know, I liked it better when you were nice to me."

"You already told me that," she smiled, walking down to the pier and untying the lines she had fashioned to the docks the night before. "I hope you know where we are going, because you're going to have to direct me while I steer."

Jack sighed, knowing full and well his battle had been lost. He took initiative into his own hands, lowering the masts and allowing them to catch enough air to back the cargo ship away from the docks slowly. Her Latin smile spread across her face beautifully, before she moved her way up to the wheel and turned the _Most Holy Trinity_ en route for the north. "It's a large dock ahead about half a league. No trees, lots of noise, you can't miss it."

"Now was that difficult, Jack? Maybe I'll actually start being nicer to you if you continue to help me without much hassle."

"Now Angelica," Jack laughed ruefully, tying down the masts before making his way to her side. "You are many things, but you are not a liar. We both know that isn't going to happen."


	4. Frienemies

**An: There has to be some sort of flirting at some time. :) **

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>"Why, hello there," Benjamin smiled as Jack and his lady friend walked towards them after anchoring her ship to the docks. Reaching his hand out, he shook hands with the gorgeous Spanish woman, his voice unconsciously lowering to something that almost mocked a purr. "My name is Benjamin Massey. It's wonderful to meet you-"<p>

"Angelica," she finished, her hand falling from his when she believed he held on for a tad too long. "It's nice to meet you, Benjamin, but I don't want to waste times on pleasantries to which we have already shared. I'm here for business, not folly."

"Understandable," Benjamin nodded, turning and extending his hand towards the man standing beside him, whom held obvious physical similarities to the man introducing him. "This is my brother Richard. He's here to help outfit your ship with the finest and strongest weaponry that can be built by the hands of men."

"It's nice to meet you Angelica," Richard nodded, shaking hands with her before turning to face the captain standing by her side. "And it's always wonderful to see you again, Jack."

Jack chuckled softly, swaying on his feet as he waved his fore and middle finger through the air. "Likewise, Richard."

"Alright, so onto plans," Ben stated, smiling softly in remembrance of the troubles the three had gotten in to that last time the infamous captain had anchored in Tortuga. Pushing the thoughts aside, the smith stretched out a large piece of parchment that was covered in light sketches of a cargo ship much like hers drawn in many different angles. The two brothers tacked down the corners, and lit the candle on the corner of the table, before Ben picked up his pencil and pointed to the largest sketch in the middle. "I told Jack earlier, that I'm skeptical about small ships. A long boat isn't going to go against a naval ship from her majesties navy and some how emerge victorious, correct? So, I assumed that yer ship would be the traditional dimensions, as it is close, and then brainstormed on exactly how to make it bigger. I say, that we tear away the masts first, as well as the siding on yer ship until I am left with the original base skeleton. From there I will extend the planks of the skeleton, as well as adjust the angles of the planks to the base board so the wood will curve upwards and make yer ship much more wider and thick. Then she will be able to hold more weight, which means more cannons."

"Do you plan to raise the planks any in height?" Angelica asked, her fingers rising to push her hair behind her ear. "So that the ship will be taller?"

"Of course," Benjamin nodded, tapping the edge of his pencil on the calculations written in the top right hand corner. "I plan to do that, and refashion the ship's skeleton in a lighter wood than it already is. The thing is, that the longer a ship is in the water, the weaker it's fortifications are. Things like barnacles and sea scum stick to the bottom and eat away your hull, slowing down yer ship as well as sinking her further into the water. If I refashion her out of lighter wood, she'll be able to float better, and the metal won't bring her to sink."

"But, if the wood is lighter, will it be able to support the iron?" Jack popped in, his body gravitating close to Angelica's as he peered over her shoulder to look at the blueprints.

"Yes," Ben answered. "I will build her sturdy and strong. No need to worry about if she can handle it or not."

"How is she going to float though, if you plate her in metal?" Angelica asked.

"The metal is used to simply secure yer ship so that a cannon ball can't go flying through your starboard and sink yer vessel. The bottom of yer ship, the part under the water, will be solid wood."

"What about weapons?" Jack asked as Angelica opened her mouth to inquire the same thing. She glanced over her shoulder and shook her head, smirking softly and chuckling even as she felt his chest brush against her back.

"I have devised a whole arsenal to place on your ship," Richard said, using only his hands as imagery for his work. "Cannons that shoot chained cannon balls, pistols that fire multiple rounds within seconds, and long range rifles that you can use to initiate an attack from leagues away. As for hand to hand weapons, I have fashioned swords and daggers made of metal that will not break under brute force, and I have created an invention perfect for anyone needing to win a fight. It is a blade, large and thick, but with a tip that contains a small hole in it. In that hole, is a poison, that the second it comes into contact with human blood, goes rampant like a starving lion having just seen a wounded zebra. Even a small nick will inflict death within minutes."

As the two imagined such a weapon, Angelica heard Jack huff heavily against the idea. No doubt he was remembering their fight with the one-legged man in the sanctuary of the fountain of youth, where she stupidly cut herself on a blade that he had warned her was poisoned. Though healed, the metaphorical scar was enough to bring a sharp pain to her hand, and as if he could feel that pain, his knuckle gently rose to follow the curve of her palm.

"The cannons," Angelica stated, crossing her arms to keep herself from being distracted by Jack's touch. "Obviously they are heavy. How many do you plan to place on her?"

"Though they are heavy, with the way that Benjamin is modifying your ship, you could have up to twenty on deck. Exactly how many we end up placing on your ship is entirely up to you," Richard answered. "As well as what weapons you want to supply your crew with. I also decided to fashion bow-like weapons that can travel over a long distance in a short time just in case you stumbled upon men more adept at firing a crossbow instead of a gun."

"Well those men are few and far between in the pirating world," the Spaniard mused, her eyes turning to observe her small cargo ship in the massive bay around them. "How do you manage to work on her? You can't do everything we just spoke of in the water, can you?"

"Of course not," the two brothers laughed, both of their hands rising to point to the elaborate pulley system strung above them. "We've fashioned a pulley system that could lift a ship the weight of 50 elephants. All we have to do is tie the ropes around her and the two of us will hoist her up. She'll sit on the racks over there," Richard explained, pointing to a structure of architecture that seemed perfectly suitable for keeping a ship upright on land. "That is where we will work on her."

"Jack and I can help with the labor," Angelica offered, practically sensing Jack's rebuttal before he even said it.

"Come again, love?"

"We will help with some of the physical labor," she said again, turning slightly to look up at him. "It won't be difficult, and it'll help them get a nice start in fixing up my ship. I can't stay here for a month and let the one-legged man continue to sail if we don't know where he is going. The sooner I'm outfitted for war, and the sooner we depart, the sooner I can get my _Revenge_."

Chuckling softly behind her, Jack rocked back on his heels as he pondered the double meaning of her statement. "Clever," he murmured, his smile bringing an almost identical one to her own lips despite the eye roll she tried to achieve.

"Well, if ye are really up to helpin'," Benjamin said, picking up a modified gun of sorts that was used to shoot a small ball made of plastic connected to a thick, heavy rope under the boat. "There are hooks inside of the shop. They're long, three pronged, and connected to rope. We use those to tear down the tops of the ship. I believe ye both strong enough to help as such, while Richard and I begin to work from the bottom up."

"Perfect," Angelica smiled, making her way towards the shop while Jack stayed behind. He took the opportunity to make his way to Benjamin's side, his hand grasping his friend's forearm while he moved close enough to whisper into his ear.

"Don't tell her of your price," Jack insisted. "She doesn't need to know. Transfer of funds for the work on her ship will be strictly between us, understand? I will take care of it."

"That's fine Jack," Benjamin nodded, his eyes glancing up when the door to the shop slammed shut. "I won't tell that beautiful lady friend of yers that ye doing something nice for her," he laughed, his hands rising in surrender when Jack's eyes narrowed and the captain forced himself to keep his composure.

"Here," Angelica said, slinging one of the heavy ropes square into Jack's stomach. "It's the least you could do since you didn't actually follow and help me get these in the first place."

"By the looks of it you didn't need much help," Jack grumbled, his hand settling over his sore stomach as he drug the large rope and hook further away from Benjamin and Richard, who were hooking up different ropes and wires to their masterful contraption.

"No, not necessarily, but that doesn't mean you have to kill the chivalry," she teased, tossing her rope away from her before she moved to sit down in one of the chairs settled by the table they were once gathered around. They both watched as the two brothers finished securing the ship, and as they both moved into their positions, the two watched as the _Most Holy Trinity_ was hoisted into the air, and lowered onto the architecture built upon the pier. A smile toyed with her lips, and a wonderful sense of accomplishment followed the fact that they indeed were making progress, all thanks to the captain leaning against the table with his hand still clutching his stomach. "Thank you, Jack," she whispered, the words almost bitter on her tongue, even though she meant them wholeheartedly. "I appreciate you doing this for me."

Almost caught off guard by her kind words, Jack couldn't help the cocky smile flowering on his lips. Even though she flaunted a tough act, he was one of the few who knew the true her. Always feisty, always proud, always strong, and sometimes...sometimes she delved into realms aptly named 'sweet'. Though, experiencing her as such was a chance of luck in its own, and he wasn't willing to waste his luck by being witty or sarcastic and pissing her off. So he settled on whispering: "Your welcome," and kept it as simple as that. They didn't need a full on conversation to express something like appreciation. Most of the time they didn't need a conversation at all.

"It's ready you two!" Richard called as they strapped the boat down and made sure it was secure. "Get to tearing."

Looking to each other in understanding, the two shared an almost flirty smile as they slung their coils of rope over their shoulders, and brought the hook into their hands. "I believe we should wager on a friendly competition, Jack," Angelica suggested, her eyes sparkling and mischievous under the cover of moonlight.

"Oh really?" the captain asked, a bright smile of his own sparkling to match her eyes. "And what kind of competition is that?"

"A competition to see who can tear down the most of the ship, the fastest, of course," she offered. "But, I don't know what we should wager."

"Hmm, how about, if I win, you agree to spend one evening with me. No arguing. No yelling. Just a nice, fun, friendly outing-"

"That we both know might not end ideally," she laughed, swinging her hook slowly. "But tell me Jack...what do I get if I win?"

"No need to worry about that love," he whispered, swinging his hook like hers, but releasing it so it could fly and hook the railing along the starboard bow. "Because it's not going to happen."

"We'll just have to see about that," she returned, following his lead, and allowing her hook to fly through the air and latch into the middle of the ship's railing. Amused laughter rose from her throat as they both pulled, and Angelica's hook obviously did most of the work in pulling away a small amount of siding on the ship. Jack's eyes narrowed, and in an attempt to try and win the bet, he moved to step in front of her; following her and tripping up her rope any chance he got. She laughed happily, and they both allowed for the comfortable bliss to settle over them, even as they rained destruction on the fortifications of her poor ship. Though moments before exhaustion was heavy in their muscles from the days prior, and their eyes burned after sleeping restlessly the night before, in that moment, they had never felt more alive...or happy.


	5. Emotional Misdirection

**An: I apologize for taking so long to update this guys. This week is my last week of school, and we are currently finishing up our exams. I had my English and Biology exams, as well as work (and a marathon of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies) deter me from updating. But I decided to write this quick last night, so I could edit and post before I go about my day with a terrible sunburn, and work looming menacingly in the background...love it.**

**Enjoy!**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>Climbing to the top of the mast in hopes of getting away from his arguments, Angelica growled as even from the large heights she was at, the man below her continued to yell up at her. Her fingers clasped around the handle of her blade fiercely, and growled as she began cutting down the rigging from their ties at the top.<p>

"I won Angelica, I don't understand why you continue to fight what is truth."

"We all do it from time to time, Jack," she growled, tossing the rope down in hopes that he wasn't paying attention, and the heavy braids would smack him in the head. "You're doing it right now, as a matter of fact. It's quite obvious that I won, and you've yet to tell me exactly what I won."

"You won that wonderful evening with yours truly, love," Jack chuckled, easily grabbing the pieces falling from the sky and tossing them onto the ground near their the ship. "Because I won."

Huffing in pure and utter annoyance, she tossed down the last bits and the full rigging fell towards the deck, sending Jack scrambling out of the way while she took this as her opportunity, and dug her blade into her sails; sliding down with great speed before landing in front of him. She poised the tip of her blade against his chest, and pressed softly; allowing him to feel the gentle burn before uttering her threat. "Say it one more time, Jack. We both know who won, and frankly, your arguing is angering me quite a bit."

"Would it help to say I find you extremely attractive when you're angry?"

"Flattery might help you with some, but it won't with me," she growled, sliding her blade up the part in his shirt which revealed a thin sliver of his muscled flesh. "Tell me Jack," she finalized, her hand stopping when the tip of her blade rested mere millimeters from his throat. "And tell me honestly...who won?"

"Well you see, in all honesty I would have to tell you that I won, though, had you stopped with just 'tell me Jack, who won' then I could have easily lied and gotten out of this predicament."

"Jack."

"Honestly, I won," he said, his hand shooting up to grab her wrist which he twisted backwards enough so that her blade dropped into the hand he had waiting below her elbow. "And you should know better than to threaten me love. I've been to the Locker and back. I am a man untouchable, by both man and demon."

"Such bold words prove fire for ones like me," she laughed, breaking free of his hold and swinging her leg towards him as if to kick him, scaring him slightly whilst causing him to jump back. His grasp on her blade loosened, and the prized metal fell towards the deck; her foot coming under it and kicking it into the air where she easily caught it on it's downfall. He stared at her in amazement; straightening his posture and making a motion that suggested his supposed 'loss' wasn't his fault.

"That's a new trick," he stated eventually, his finger falling towards her foot, which she tapped impatiently.

A low laugh emerged from Angelica's lips, and as her blade swung around her finger, she moved behind him. He tensed at her proximity, his senses heightened as he half expected to plunge her dagger straight through his heart. Though, in reality, her actions proved to be much more pleasant. With her lips only a hair's-breadth from his ear, and her finger gently touching a trail up his back, her voice emerged sultry and seductive. "A woman is much like a magician, or a shaman Jack. Never in your living years will you learn all of her tricks, nor experience the extent of her fury. So I ask you one more time...who won?"

"You did," he grumbled, suppressing his shiver when her gentle laugh brushed against his cheek. Reaching behind him he stole the blade from her and stepped away, pouting before he cut away the rigging from the bottom of the ship and tossed it over. "Though, I don't believe you deserve anything considering you didn't win graciously."

"That's not fair," Angelica exclaimed, resting her hands on her hips and tilting her head slightly when Jack grasped for one of the ropes still tied to the mast.

"Pirate," he stated obviously, placing the blade between his teeth before shimmying to where the rope connected; his feet settling against a protrusion on the mast. "It seems many of you tend to forget about that important detail when it comes to you not getting what you want."

"I'm perfectly content with bragging rights," she stated from below, watching the rigging fall to the deck like she imagined the tentacles of the Kraken falling on the _Pearl_ when news of his death had reached Tortuga all those years ago. The memory of her sinking heart that night brought unsettling feelings to the forefront of her mind, and fleetingly, she was glad he gave in to admit she won. Had he continued to assure that he was the victor, she was sure she would end up doing something stupid on their night together.

"Then bragging rights ye shall have," he said, throwing her her blade before swinging down and using his own to cut away the rest of cables. He waited through long moments of silence, waiting for her fiery Spanish tongue to click against her teeth before she boasted about her superior wrecking skills, but that moment never came. Instead her eyes remained fixed on the blade she had in her hand, as if looking through it to something much more important.

"Angelica," he called, frowning when she looked up at him with a gaze that could almost be described as fearful, before it disappeared and dissolved into apathy. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured, her hand tightening around her blade. "I was simply thinking about exactly how I'm going to brag about my accomplishments tonight. Maybe we'll take a visit to the pub, and while everyone gathers around to hear the tales of your sea turtles, I will tell them that sure, Jack Sparrow was born from hell fire and brimstone, but he was bested by a woman destined to live within a convent in tearing away the siding of a ship."

"Okay for one, love, there should be a 'Captain' in there somewhere, and two," he laughed, shaking his head and settling against the railing. "You were never meant to live within a convent. I did you a wonderful service by breaking you out."

"You corrupted not only me, but also the vows that I had waited eighteen years to take. You think I had never been approached for such pleasures before you? You are a man far cockier than I originally anticipated if that is the case."

Smiling brightly, Jack crossed his arms over her chest; bowing playfully as to accept her words as flattery. "I'm not daft love. You are a beautiful woman with the fire and spirit that any man would want to try and tame, of course you have had men try to take you to bed, but you see...the thing is...I am the only one who succeeded. So tell me Angelica, why is that?"

"You got me drunk," she deadpanned, catching him off guard and turning down his smile as he tried to remember back to that night.

"Was their rum involved?"

"Wine the first night, yes."

"Ah," he smiled, stepping forward and extending his finger to tap her nose. "But what about the second night, or the third, or the eighth or that matter? I don't recall any wine then, or am I mistaken?"

"You are not," Angelica grumbled, narrowing her eyes as he moved to touch her again. Taking the hint, he pulled his hand back; frowning at her before settling once more against the siding. "I must say, that first week and a half must have been a record for you. You never came to me with rum on your lips."

"That's because once I left, I got my rum," he chuckled, swaying happily in wake of his memories. "Surely you must know the bliss that settles over one taking a drink after being extremely pleasured."

"At that I do," she smiled, her eyes watching as his face fell for a moment and he huffed in displeasure. She smirked and chuckled softly, holding in her laughter when he looked up and brought forward a question completely off topic.

"So I take it you're getting rid of your sails?"

"Well I'm sure as hell not sailing under anything bought, endorsed, or flying the symbol for the East India Trading company..."

"Acceptable reasons," he nodded, resting his hands on the rail as he watched Benjamin and Richard start hauling piles of wood into the yard. "Climb up and cut them down, then we should begin stripping down the interior and the deck of the ship."

She accepted wordlessly, and pulled herself onto the many protrusions and handles on the mast. "So it seems I have struck a nerve," she murmured to herself as she used her blade as a handle to pull her further and further up the column of wood. Stilling her ascent, she looking down on him; his face illuminated under the moonlight, and the tattoos on his back shining as he tore his shirt away in hopes to cool his labor stressed body. Vague memories of stolen ships and passionate nights aboard their decks brought uncomfortable shivers to her spine, and even more uncomfortable feelings of want deep within the pit of her stomach. "_¡__Mujer estúpida! Conseguir un asimiento de ti mismo_."

~*~*A+J*~*~

"Oi! Mr. Gibbs," Benjamin called as he emerged from his shop with the keys to open his stock shed near the back. "What brings ye here mate?"

"Hello Ben, it's nice to see ya," Gibbs murmured, his eyes squinted even in the darkness, and his movements sluggish. "I was wondering if ye seen Jack anywhere?"

"Aye," Ben laughed, raising an eyebrow as the rough-looking man rose a hand to his forehead. "Rough night?"

"You have no idea. Do you know where Jack be now?"

"He's in the work yard, right beside the harbor," Richard explained as he emerged from the shop to assist his brother. "You should hurry and talk to him quickly. He and Angelica have taken a break from their usual arguing. If your headache is as bad as I imagine it is, you should be clear of the yard before they bring the swords out."

"Good idea," Gibbs nodded, hobbling his way into the yard where he found his captain, his muscled skin bathed in sweat, as he worked and pulled down different pieces off a ship he prayed be in its position for a reason. The sound of heavy footsteps caught Jack's attention, and he turned to address his first mate; noticing his friend's condition immediately.

"You need to drink more, mate," Jack laughed.

"Something tells me I should be drinkin' less."

"Not unless you want to grow accustomed to the pain you're in now," Sparrow pointed out, as he reached up and tugged down a rope that tore the rest of the railing held by the rigging they had just cut down. Gibbs groaned from behind him, and Jack smirked, looking over his shoulder and muttering: "Sorry," before continuing his questioning. "Why are you here Mr. Gibbs? You should be in Tortuga, working on that ailment of yours."

"Well, we're on short basis of time, considering your decisions to help Miss Angelica," Gibbs explained, his face paling for a moment before he regained his composure. "I came to see if you needed help with anything."

"Barbossa," Jack whispered, his voice still holding that twinge of hate that had resided their for the longer end of fifteen years. "I need you to find whatever information you can on why he was in Tortuga, where he is heading, and why he is heading there."

"What of your compass, Captain?" Gibbs asked, his eyebrow rising as he glanced down to look at the piece of equipment at his hip. "Shouldn't it give us our heading?"

"It should," Jack agreed, his head tilting up for a moment to look upon Angelica tearing away her masts and allowing them to flutter to the ground. "But it doesn't as of recently."

"Aye," his extremely hung-over friend agreed. "I will find out as much as a can. As well as try that drink you prescribed for this bloody headache."

"That's the spirit," the Captain smiled, clapping his hand over his friend's shoulder in a teasing act he knew was all too painful. "Go on Mr. Gibbs. Come to me in two days time with what you have, eh?"

"Aye, Cap'n," he muttered once again, before stumbling forward in the darkness in direction of the port alight with fire and the sound of mass mobs fighting in the streets. A sigh touched the captain's lips, and he glanced upwards before ducking into the ship's shadow and picking up the compass at his hip. His eyes closed tight, and he opened the contraption on hope that it would point anywhere but where he knew it was going to point. Cursing he shut the compass quickly and went back to dismantling the ship; all the while keeping his eyes solely on his work, and his mind on the bottles of rum he would be treating himself to as soon as they returned to Tortuga.


	6. Late Night Memories

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>Weak and exhausted from their strenuous work, Angelica and Jack drug terribly as they made the trek between the yard and the city. Yawns overtook them every few seconds, and as the sound of drunken calls, breaking bones, and shattering glass became louder and louder, they barely had enough energy to dodge the many staggering occupants of this wondrous port.<p>

Glancing to his side, Jack took in the view of his friend; her dark eyes even darker with the loss of energy. Her hands were dirty, her shoulders slumped, and her back barely straight as she tried to carry herself as usual, but found no will to do so. He could tell she was tired, and once she moved closer to him to move out of the way of a man tripping over his own feet, he felt the strong urge to circle his arm around her waist and carry her to bed. Keeping his hands at his sides, he huffed at his ignorance, and shook his head; his eyes fixing on the swinging sign of the pub as if it was the hand of God showing him the way to salvation.

"Where are you going?" she asked eventually, her voice quiet and barely heard above the noise of the city.

"The Pub," he stated simply, pointing upwards as if the answer to that question should be obvious.

"You need sleep Jack," she argued. "You're exhausted, and we need to have enough energy to go back tomorrow and help Richard and Benjamin with the ship."

"Rum will do me better than sleep love, trust me," Jack mumbled. "Go back to the boarding house and get some sleep Angelica. I will be fine."

"I'm not worried about your safety," she deadpanned. "Or your health for that matter. I know you'll be fine, I just don't want to deal with your complaints all of tomorrow when I ask you to do something other than sit in one spot."

"Worry not then," he said. "Tomorrow...or well...later tonight, I'll practically emanate sunshine. You will not have an argument from me."

"I highly doubt that," she muttered, shrugging nonchalantly and waving over her shoulder before she followed the road out of the center of the city, towards the trail that led up to the houses on the hill. He stood near the front of the pub, watching her walk away with new energy and a sashay to her hips that peeked Jack's interest in a way it shouldn't be peeked.

Huffing and ignoring his 'stirrings', he pushed into the pub, and made his way to the rum offered to him by the man behind the counter. The silky smooth liquid gold slid down Jack's throat with ease, and in seconds, his glass was on the counter again. The man dispersing the rum raised an eyebrow questioningly, and Jack stared forward before focusing on the look being given to him.

"I believe you should find a bigger glass, mate."

~*~*A+J*~*~

She rested her back against the wall of the boarding houses; tired and ready to fall asleep standing up, but unable to go without appreciating the plethora of stars dotted across the dark navy sky. From red and light blue to a blistering yellow and white, the stars twinkled and brought back memories she always wished she could forget. No matter where she went, and no matter what age, when the sun set over the horizon, and the moon rose to took its place, her eyes always turned up to appreciate the light of the stars accompanying it. Though, every time she saw the stars, she remembered the night sky in La Martinique, and always wondered why the stars above that isle city always seemed to outshine their counterparts everywhere else in the world.

~*~*A+J*~*~

_Tired and weak from her nonstop travel, Angelica grasped for the cross resting comfortably against her chest. Eighteen, young, and a picture perfect child of innocence, she was sailing towards the beautiful isle of La Martinique to stay in one of the many convents, and work with her sisters there to spread the word of God to those who would listen. Though she wasn't a nun yet, she was well on her way to becoming one, and in fact was sailing through her last leg of her five year long journey into the arms of the church. The feel of the wind on her face, and the unknown lands on the horizon stirred a sense of adventure within her, and she wondered exactly why she hadn't begun to miss her home after the full year of moving between cities._

_Originally sent from Seville to Valencia, she had been one of the few women chosen to go on the trip she was on now. Polite and kindhearted, but with a fiery aspect of her that many found interesting, her sisters believed that she would be able to inspire heretics and disbelievers to follow the words of God. And so, for a whole year, she has slowly made her way down the eastern coast of Spain, sailing and stopping in cities large and small for a week or so to spread the word, and tell others of salvation._

_La Martinique was their next stop, a beautiful isle with white sand beaches and perfect blue seas. In truth, it was a place she had always wanted to go, and once more her sense of adventure made its presence known by a flutter deep within her stomach. The waters of the harbor passed under their boat, and slowly they drifted into port; the crewmen working hard to secure the ship and ready her for rest. Though large to her eyes, the ships around her outmatched their vessel ten fold, and she almost gasped when she noticed the heavy arsenal each ship carried._

"_Sister Maria," she called, turning to see the elderly, and caring woman making her way to her side. "Why are these ships so big, and why do they have so many guns? Do they not believe in peace?"_

"_My child," Maria began, her voice soothing and soft from long years of use. "The seas are not as friendly as you may be aware of. Ruffians sail the waters from here to the new world in search of other ships to destroy and men to kill. They are murderous and evil, and they make their way into the arms of society to draft naïve men into their brotherhood. They promise the wealth and fame of finding treasure long lost to the hands of men, but in reality, all they are payed with is years of labor and death."_

"_What kinds of men do such a thing sister? What do they call themselves?"_

"_Pirates," she explained, her wrinkled and gnarled hand coming to settle on the young girl's shoulder. "You don't hear much of them in Sevilla because we are locked so deep within the land, but in cities like these, where the ocean is a part of their life, these men run wild like rabid wolves. You must take haste of them my young traveler. Especially if you see colors of black."_

"_Colors?" she asked. "What do you mean colors?"_

"_Every ship has a flag to which they raise when in the heat of battle. Their flag represents their country if they are in a navy, or their sponsor if they sail under the name of someone else, but pirates...they fly a flag of black, with skulls and crossbones marring the fabric. They are men who don't follow the light my child, and walk with souls as dark as their colors. Avoid them, at all costs, or you are sure to become one of them."_

_Watching her sister walk away, it wasn't so much that she was scared of pirates themselves, but she was scared about the fact that she felt no fear towards the idea of these walking devils._

~*~*A+J*~*~

_The convent was dark, and the women had long closed their doors to pray and go to sleep, though, having worked in the church for the three days she had been in La Martinique, Angelica was ready to explore and see the beautiful land for what it was. She arranged her pillows under her covers, and locked her door; opening her window with quiet care so that the sudden screeching wouldn't wake the others in the room beside her whom tended to sleep lightly. Cool air touched her face, and the smell of fish and salt circled through the air as she ducked out of her room, but the real surprise came when she heard gentle footsteps walking towards her._

_Her heart raced, and she froze for a moment before she grabbed the dagger she had kept with her to ensure her safety. Ducking behind one of the trees, she tried to keep her breathing even and soft; her eyes working to take in as much light as possible so she could make out the features of the man stepping up to her window. He was a little over average height, with long brown hair and and stubble resting along his jaw. His eyes were dark, and his movements oddly feminine, though when he turned to look straight at her, even under her cover of night, she had to admit that his youthful face was extremely attractive._

"_I know you're there love," he laughed as he moved to lean against the walls of the convent. "And seeing as how you're sneaking away, I assume you know what this place is."_

_She moved slowly from behind her hiding spot, but kept her dagger before her; the smile creeping to his face one of amusement at her fear. "I'm not going to hurt you," he assured, as his eyes fell to look at the cross rested against her chest. "Though it does seem I have stumbled upon the wrong place."_

"_Who...who are you?" she whispered, her voice quiet, but strong. That aspect stuck out to him, and his head tilted as he regarded the beautiful woman before him with new interest._

"_My name is Jack," he offered. "Captain Jack Sparrow to be more formal."_

"_Captain?" she asked, laughing before stepping further out of the shadows. "You seem too young to be a captain."_

"_I was born on a ship, and have spent every twenty one years of my life on the open seas...I believe my devotion proves me worthy to be captain."_

"_What are you a captain of? You aren't dressed in any sort of naval uniform that I've seen around here."_

"_Private business love," he said easily, giving her a watered down version of the truth. "Nothing ye need to fret over."_

"_Why are you here?"_

"_Do you always ask these many questions?"_

"_I tend to like to know the random men that sneak around my window."_

"_Fair enough," he said, his eyes tilting up to take in the building, which he now noticed had a cross rested high on the steeple. "I was looking for a place a friend of mine in port told me about. I thought this must be it, but it is obviously quite the opposite. Though, I do believe the real question is why a girl like you is sneaking away to a town like this in the middle of the night?"_

"_A town like what?" Angelica asked, her arms crossing across her chest. "What is wrong with La Martinique?"_

"_Nothing is wrong...per say," he explained, stepping away from the building and slowly walking with her towards the cliffs edge looking down on the city. "It's just...many men make their way through these streets in search of...companionship, and whether that companionship is willing or not doesn't really matter to them. As long as they get what they want, get their drink, and keep their ship intact, they are fine with whatever damage they do."  
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"_Drunken men don't prove much of a challenge for me," she argued, making the dagger in her hand known. "I'm quite adept at wielding a blade."_

"_Oh really?" he chuckled, his tongue sweetened by the hypocrisy. "But are you any match against a man who has handled a sword all of his life?"_

"_Passion and practice make up the loss of being against an opponent long familiar with his blade," she assured. "I might not be able to best a man like you described, but I am sure to put up a good fight."_

"_Well, I hope I'll get to see this passion you speak of," he murmured silkily, his hand sliding from her elbow to her wrist until he took the blade from her grasp and inspected it. "That is, as soon as you get a better weapon than this."_

"_My weapon is fine," she stated, snatching it back from him and cradling it to her chest. "I know it's not the best, but it was my father's..."_

"_Who owned it before you doesn't help you in a fight," Jack smirked, before murmuring to himself. "If it did I probably wouldn't have gotten in so much trouble over the years."_

_The sound of angered growls and light from one of her sisters' room evaded into their meeting, and Angelica instantly grabbed his hand before pulling him into the trees settled nearby. The window of the room next to hers flew open, and the angered, tired old woman glanced around whilst rubbing her eyes in an attempt to see who, or what was making all of the noise outside._

"_We can't stay here any longer," she whispered, a heavy pulse making its appearance in her heart when she turned to look at him, and noticed that he was pressed completely against her in their small hiding place._

"_I know where we can go," he whispered in return, grabbing her hand and stepping back slowly as to not alert the woman standing in her window, and allow them a safe escape to the harbor._

~*~*A+J*~*~

_Her laugh was sweet and joyous as her feet hit the harbor's pier; the wind off the sea whipping the long tendrils of umber hair around her shoulders and face. He watched her with interest as the simple essence of the sea and the wind gave her a sense of joy she couldn't experience anywhere else. She was a beautiful young woman, and very fiery in heart and soul, but it was obvious that the cross hanging around her neck didn't symbolize where she really wanted to be._

"_So, Captain Jack Sparrow," she murmured, her shimmering brown eyes rising to meet his own. "I'm quite familiar with that fact that to be a captain...you need a ship. Which one is yours?"_

"_I...I have a ship...sort of," Jack assured, his finger rising to settle against his lips as he contemplated how to describe it. "A majestic ship, resurrected from the waters and flying sails as black as the night above you-"_

"_How can you 'sort of' have a ship?" she laughed. "Especially a ship like you describe. No ship sails under black sails."_

"_Mine does...or, will," Jack corrected. "To straighten some misconceptions out, I have a ship, and it is mine, I just...it's not in my possession at the current time."_

"_Well," she stated, her gaze towards him truly skeptical. "I suppose I'll believe you, and the tales of this fabled ship when I see it in port."_

"_Listen. In four days time, I will be in control of this ship you so call a fable...and just to prove to you that it is real, and I am indeed a captain, I will treat you to a wonderful night aboard said ship. That is...as long as you tell me your name."_

"_And I will accept, and tell you my name, as long as you make a promise of your own," she whispered, her feet carrying her closer to this ambrosial man_

"_Anything love," he assured, a rough shiver sliding up her spine as his fingers reached out and barely brushed against her cheek. "What do you wish me to promise?"_

"_You must promise you won't use me," she asked, her hands resting uselessly against her stomach. "And I ask that you not make me elaborate on exactly what I mean."_

"_I know what you mean," Jack muttered, the pads of his fingers stilling against her face. "And I give you my word, I will not use you."_

"_Well then if that is the case," she began, a gentle smile coming to touch her lips. "My name is Angelica."_

~*~*A+J*~*~

"_Tanto por su palabra, mentiroso hijo de puta_," Angelica hissed, as her eyes opened against reveling in her memories. She pushed off the wall roughly and looked up to the stars once more, both cursing, and wishing she could relive that night which Jack so aptly described as ending with incessant riding, and the banishment of her company within the convent.


	7. Good Afternoon

**An: Alright, some of you might be wondering why it took me so long to update, and if you followed me on twitter you should know if you don't already. I decided that with my summer job taking up a lot of my time, I should set up a certain day out of the week for me to update. This gives me the opprotunity to try and write quality reading materials, instead of making some sort of bull shit filler that I throw up here to substitute for not having any time to write something good. So I chose Sunday to be my day (as it is right now, on the east coast and...east of that)**

**I hope you won't hate me :)  
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**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>After a mere four hours sleep, Angelica made her way to the work yard after scrounging up something small to eat, and attempting to figure out where Jack ended up the night before. A rough, tired sigh left her lips as the morning humidity and heat hit her like a speeding bullet, and she attempted to alleviate some of her discomfort by pulling her hair up, and exposing her neck to the gentle breeze flowing off the waves. The sound of pounding metal hit her ears heavily, and the stirrings of a headache pulse behind her eyes, before she stopped at the edge of the yard, and let her hand rise to shield her gaze. There, working happily under an unrelenting sun, was Jack; rebuilding her ship from the bottom up, as it stood nothing more than a skeleton. Eventually sensing her gaze, he turned, and smiled as the sun practically shimmered from the beads of sweat rolling down his chest. "Good morning Angelica! How are you this lovely morning?"<p>

"Have you been working all morning?" she asked, walking up to him and allowing her fingers to gently slide against the new, smooth wood adorning the bottom of her ship.

"Aye," Jack nodded, picking up the next slab of wood and nailing it above its brethren already hugging the starboard side. "Benjamin and Richard finished gutting her before I got here a couple hours after we left. I was incredibly drunk and needed something to do, so I helped Ben angle the planks, and while they slept I start building up the sides."

"So you didn't sleep at all last night?"

"'Course not love. I told you rum would do me better, and look...here I am, emanating sunshine."

"I have the overwhelming want to hit you," Angelica growled, her irritation roaring within her at her own lack of sleep.

"That's because you slept, and didn't sleep enough love. You have to trick your body, and make it believe it has energy when it doesn't. If you're tired and allow your body the bliss of sleep, you will be angry, exhausted, and in an overall terrible mood until you are fully rested," Jack explained, smiling when her irritation seemed only to grow. "Why don't you go back, eh? Get some more sleep and come back later."

"And let you hold this over me like I know you will?" Angelica asked, laughing as she shook her head and bent over to pick up one of the many hammers lying around. "Sorry Jack. I'm not going anywhere."

"Then by all means," he smirked, handing her a handful of nails before nodding to the large pile of wood rested beside the ship. "You get to securing your ship, and I'll start cutting more wood."

"Fine," she nodded, glaring at him as he practically pranced over to the pile of uncut wood set out by the brothers house ago, waiting to be sawed into thin pieces to be wrapped and nailed around the skeleton of the ship. She growled as the familiar hatred she had for him festered within her like an infection pulsing in time with her blood. No matter what situation she seemed to get herself into with Jack at her side, his arrogance always shone through, and still to this day, she doesn't understand why she can say she loves that part of him.

Emerging from the shop with dark eyes and dirty skin, Richard laughed as he looked upon the scene before him. "How long have you guys been out here?"

"I've been here since before sunrise," Jack smiled, continuing to saw at the wood below him. "She on the other hand just showed up."

"_Gilipollas_!"

"Do you know any Spanish, mate?" Jack asked. "Because, she's been doing that a lot and it's quite unnerving not knowing what she's saying."

"I'm sure it's for the better," Richard chuckled, looking over Jack's shoulder to Angelica who nodded to ensure his words were truth. "Why are you guys out here so early?"

"We want to get the ship done," the captain stated obviously. "Why not work through the morning? The faster we get this baby up and sailing the faster I can get back on my own ship."

"You miss it that much?"

"That and I'm worried. Usually someone has taken it by now."

The weapon smith laughed and nodded his head, taking in the sight of the ship which seemed to have practically built itself through the early morning. "You have done a remarkable job in such a short time."

"Ah, see!" Jack laughed, turning to the still fuming Spanish bombshell. "I did a _remarkable job_! Maybe you should start being nicer to me seeing as how I'm doing a _remarkable job_ on that little ship of yours."

"_No hables sin valor, molestos pirata_," she spat, smirking to herself when Jack turned to Richard with confusion evident on his face.

"The few words I understood in that sentence...I don't think-"

"_Molestos_ means annoying, Jack," Angelica explained. "Seeing as how long you followed me across Spain, I would have believed you would have picked up enough Spanish to know that."

"I never heard you screaming about how annoying I was when I-" he started, his sentence being cut off when he grumbled in pain, and touched the side of his face which had been hit by one of the nails in her hand.

"Why do you insist on teasing her Jack?" Richard asked, his lips turned up in amusement as he watched the spectacle between the two. "It's a wonder she hasn't killed you yet."

"If I don't than how will I get her to talk to me?" Jack reasoned.

"I guess I understand that," the smith chuckled, turning over his shoulder to look into the windows and observe how many workers were arriving for the day. "Well, since you guys are so adamant about working on this, I'm sure the workers won't mind a couple more shillings pay to work on building up the boat. Seeing as how they're all capable workers, I think we could have half of the ship rebuilt and most of the metal for her hulls ready to be attached by tomorrow afternoon, but that is a long time to spend with Angelica. I advise that you keep your mouth shut and let her calm down. She's cranky, and I would hate to see my good friend floating face down in the harbor."

"That would be most unfortunate," the captain muttered, coming to stand behind Richard so they could both look at the beauty pounding away at the siding. "But don't you agree mate? When she is fuming, that Latin fire that drew me to her rages unrelenting."

"Play with fire, and you'll most certainly get burned Jack," Richard chuckled, turning to face his friend. "I can assure you of that."

"What about all of the fun?"

"Find fun some other way...at least for a couple hours."

"But that's no fun at all..."

"Neither is death, Jack," the captain's friend muttered. "You should be quite familiar of that fact."

"I suppose you're right."

"I usually always am. Look, just try to be nice to her for a change. No teasing, no witty remarks, just be a friend. You might walk away with your life and ship intact."

"I do like my ship," Jack murmured quietly, a sadness settling over him as he imagined losing the _Pearl_ over, and over, and over again.

"Then do it for your ship. The good Lord knows that she won't be below sinking that beauty of yours."

"Fine...I'll be nice."

"You'll thank me for this later, Jack."

"Hopefully. She might grow suspicious and kill me anyway."

~*~*A+J*~*~

As the sun continued to creep towards its peak above the harbor, the heat increased, and the smell of sweat, melting metal, and cut wood rose to mingle with the salt and fresh sea air. Angelica, deprived of any shelter from the blistering sun stumbled into the shadows of the smithing house; her body hitting the outside wall hard as she slid down to sit, and closed her eyes in an attempt to stop her swimming gaze. Emerging from the house with large planks of wood settled on his shoulder, Jack frowned, and moved to throw said planks in the piles to be cut before he moved closer to her and tossed his flask into her lap. She squinted up at him weakly before looked down; picking up the heated metal bottle, and absently shaking its contents.

"Alcohol I presume," she muttered as she unscrewed the cap with her shaking hands.

"Water," he corrected. "It's too dangerous to be drinking anything but while working under a sun like this. Look, Angelica-"

"I'm not leaving Sparrow. I don't know what you plan on doing, and I don't know why you keep on insisting that I leave...but it's not going to happen."

"You can't see," he whispered, her teeth digging into her cheek as she tried to fix her eyes on one spot before her in hopes she could see again. "It's hard for you to breath and you're physically unable of cooling down. You'll get sick if you stay out here."

"I'm not asking for your help, Jack."

"I know you aren't. You never would. Never will, but sometime in your life you're going to have to realize that you might not be making the best decisions. Listen love, I don't care how long it takes me, or how terribly wounded I'll be by the end, I'm taking you back to Tortuga, and I'll leave the ship-building in the brothers' hands until tomorrow."

"How will I know if they are working efficiently?" Angelica asked, her eyes closing as her headache began to worsen. "How will I know that they won't just stand around and work on my ship when they please?"

"Because they are men who have been building things small and large for their entire lives," Jack explained. "They're poor, and work endless hours of the day to put food on the table for their families. This is an opportunity for them to get a little extra money for the week, and they'll take advantage of that for as long as possible. I swear to you, this ship will be in good hands, and she will be shimmering in metal by tomorrow if these men continue to work as quickly as they are, but in my eyes, I don't care about your ship...I care about you."

"Did Richard put you up to this?"

"Partly yes," Jack admitted, shrugging his shoulder. "Though that doesn't really matter. Please love, all that I ask is that you let me take you back to port. We'll find something to eat, take a nap, have a drink and what not, and then we'll come back tomorrow bright and early to see how well your ship is doin', eh?"

"Fine," she grumbled, glaring at him as she placed her hand in his, and allowed him to help her up. "But if I come back here tomorrow night and see one board misplaced on my vessel I swear to God, Sparrow-"

"No need for the threats deary, because I put my utmost trust in those fine fellows over there. Your ship will be fine. I give you my word."

"So much your word has done for me so far," she growled, drinking the last of the water in his flask before shoving into his chest.

"Okay, I can understand why that would still make you mad," Jack began, stilling when, even exhausted from the heat, Angelica spun on her heels to face him.

"It makes me furious, Jack," she whispered, her fingers curling before her. "I don't care how enjoyable that night was, and I don't care about how wonderful it was to stay on a ship with you and experience the open seas for the first time in my life. You lied to me. You used me in a way that only evil men would use a young girl, and I know you Jack. You aren't evil...you're just stupid."

"Well what exactly do you want me to say, Angelica?"

"Though an apology won't really replace or repay for that which you stolen, it's a nice start."

"Did it ever occur to you why I haven't apologized all of these years?" he asked, following after her as she walked forward towards Tortuga, even though her gaze was still shifting nauseously and her head pulsed with every step she took.

"I assumed you just weren't sorry," she stated; keeping her pace even as Jack stopped for a second, before following once again.

"Hmm, well I wasn't, still aren't, so I suppose you are right by that, but I don't think that you really know what it is that I'm not sorry for...exactly."

"It's a very cut and dry aspect Jack. I understand perfectly."

"No, you don't," he argued, running forward before stopping right in front of her and holding his hands up. "I haven't, nor will I ever apologize for that night, not because I have no remorse for the pain I caused you stealing what I did, because I do, but because that that night was one of the best nights of my life, and I know that you can say the same."

"How are you so confident that that is the truth?" Angelica asked, resting her hands on her hips and tilting her head slightly.

"Because...Angelica," Jack murmured, reaching behind her to pull the tie from her hair, and sending her gentle curls to fall against her shoulders. "You love me. You admitted it yourself. 'Since the moment we first met' if I do recall your words correctly."

"Funny how love can turn into hatred in mere moments, is it not?"

"Aye, it is indeed, and it's that fact that keeps me so jolly even though you insult me in that fancy language of yours."

"It's best that you not know what I'm saying," she assured, pushing around him and once more making her way towards the city; now quieted in the light of the early afternoon. Her hand rose to her head and she groaned softly, making her way up the hill leading to their housing. He followed, and continued to follow until she stepped through the threshold she claimed as hers, and turned to block the door from him. He stopped and she looked up at him, sighing before resting against the doorjamb. "I recognize that I may be coming off ungrateful...and for that I apologize."

"Don't worry about it. I'll bring you some water," he whispered, reaching up and gently pressing the pads of his fingers under her chin to bring her gaze up to his. "Are you hungry?"

"Not right now," she answered. "I'm tired, and thirsty, but more so tired than anything else."

"Then sleep," he urged. "Look Angelica, I know how much you hate being cared for-"

"It's soothing at times," she interrupted, smirking as his lips curled up into one of his charm smiles, and his fingers moved from under her chin, to slide against her cheek.

"Is now one of those times?"

"I am too drained to feel otherwise."

"I'm okay with that," he smiled. "All I ask is that you get some rest, and leave the door unlocked."

"Why? So you can come in when I'm asleep, and try to sneak into bed with me again?"

"Only if you agree to automatically assume that you're dreaming."

"Fine," Angelica smirked, moving her hand to the door and slowly closing it before her. "Good night, Jack."

"Good afternoon, Angelica."


	8. Finalizing Our Plans

**An: Here we are, week 2 in my new 'every Sunday update' deal. Another midnight chapter. I got so many reviews last chapter, and it made my week. Do that for me one more time? Pretty please? :D**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>Stepping over every loose board and every creaky step proved a challenge in these old boarding houses. In hopes that he wouldn't disturb the sleeping beauty at the end of the hall, Jack carefully placed his feet as he made his way towards her room; his hand remaining still as to not spill the water sloshing around in the goblet he carried. Using the tip of his finger to push the door open, the captain smiled softly as he slipped through the thin crack, and silently moved to her side. He placed the goblet on the stand next to the bed, before taking up the glass she had emptied an hour earlier and stepping lightly once more. He made his way to the threshold and was about to open the door further until he heard her turn over in her bed and softly murmur his name.<p>

Turning quietly, he smirked as he imagined her whispering his name in one of her dreams, but such fantasies were crushed when the Spaniard was pushing up on her elbow and turning her shimmering chocolate eyes to him. "Hello, love," he whispered, taking an exaggerated step towards her bed before lowering himself to sit on the side. "How are you feeling?"

"I still feel sick," she answered, her eyes closing as his fingertips settled against her cheek. "But I'm feeling much better than I did a few hours ago."

"You've cooled down," Jack told her, pulling his hand back so he could hand her the goblet of water he brought up for her. "And your eyes have their shimmer back. A couple more hours of sleep and a couple dozen more glasses of water and you should be fine."

She snorted lightly, and chuckled as she drank from the glass; emptying the contents quickly and without interruption. "A couple dozen?"

"Just to be safe," the captain nodded, sharing a gentle smile with the tired woman who settled herself against her pillow once more after settling the empty goblet on the table beside her. "This is strange. I'm pretty sure I haven't taken care of you since that one time you got the flu between Italy and Spain. Even then you didn't let me get this close."

"I actually threatened to kill you if you stepped into my cabin again," she smiled, letting her fingers rise to push her hair out of her face. "Though, delirium due to sun exposure and the flu are two completely different things. One you walk about with a terrible headache and fail to see straight, the other you're throwing up every hour and really don't want to emerge from your cabin until you can control your stomach. I suppose lady luck was on your side this time."

"I suppose so," he smirked, his fingers itching to reach out and touch her before they both heard the door downstairs slam open.

"Jack!" Gibbs bellowed from below, his eyes squinting as he tried to see if Jack was somewhere in the front room. "Jack?"

"I'm up here, Mr. Gibbs," Jack called, giving his hand to Angelica and helping her pull herself into a sitting position.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Gibbs muttered as he peeked around the door and pushed his way inside.

"Of course not," Angelica smiled. "Not at all. I just woke up, as a matter of fact."

"Well, I found a man in the pub. He said he was left behind by Barbossa and the rest of the crew. He was hungry, thirsty, and penniless, so I easily bought the information from him with worthless coin. He told me where Barbossa be goin', but I convinced him to stay in port for a little while longer just in case you two wanted to talk to him in person," Jack's first mate explained, his eyes slightly dazed from the rum he had been drinking to quell his monstrous hangover.

"I suppose we'll discover if we have to speak with him face to face after you tell us what he told you," Jack said, swishing his hand through the air to encourage his friend to tell them what he knew.

"This man spoke of a city I've never heard of. He said that Barbossa was sailing northwest of Tortuga, to dock and search for a place I believe he called Cibola."

"What is that supposed to be?" the captain asked. "I've never heard about it before."

"You two don't know of the tales of Cibola?" Angelica asked, chuckling and shaking her head. "After everything that you two have seen and experienced...you've never even heard of Cibola?"

"I believe that is correct," Jack murmured quietly. "Please, pray tell us of this wondrous place we are so deprived of."

"I remember back when I lived in Seville, Cibola was very popular talk among conquistadors. Men rode into the city after years of sailing telling tales of seven cities crafted of solid gold," Angelica smiled, resting back comfortably on the pillows she had propped up to support her lower back. "They were said to be ancient, long lost cities erected by the indigenous people there, under the rule of a leader whom had brought the city to prosper, and had it draped in gold. Though, like any other 'too good to be true' adventure story, all the men said the gold was cursed, and the slightest brush of your hand against it would doom you to a living hell."

"Been there, done that," Jack stated flatly, turning his attention to his first mate. "Do you believe this place is true?"

"I dunno," Gibbs shrugged. "I suppose anything is possible, but it seems a little far-fetched don't you think? I mean, seven cities, made entirely out of gold? I doubt there's enough gold in the world to manage that."

"Yes and it's completely far-fetched that there is a ship with black sails, once crewed by the damned and captained by a man whom is so evil hell itself spat him out. Oh, also, let's not forget sailing to the end of the world and back, fighting upon the _Flying Dutchman_, and discovering a fountain that will steal all the years of life from another. That's all completely far-fetched, correct?"

"I'm sorry to say this captain," Gibbs whispered. "But she has an excellent point."

"Doesn't she always," Jack asked rhetorically, standing from Angelica's bed side and beginning a slow, contemplative pace. "So explain to me, Angelica, since you are our prime expert on this wondrous land...exactly why would a competitive man like Barbossa sail for this mythical city that not even I, or Mr. Gibbs, have heard about?"

"I know tales of the seven cities, Jack," Angelica stated. "I know not the motives of the one-legged man. Though, logically, I can only come up with one explanation."

"And what might that be, love?"

"He is old, correct?"

"Yes, quite exactly. Dead and back from the grave to be more specific."

"Yes, but this time, there's no one to revive him...and nothing to keep him immortal," the Spaniard explained, raising her eyebrow suggestively. "The second we are born, we start to die Jack, and it seems like the one-legged man has finally hit the point he doesn't want to return from. He has the strongest ship on the seas, and a crew long abused under the command of my father. They are adventurous, incapable of mutiny, and live solely to serve their captain. When has he ever had that without the eventual chance of having it all taken away? He doesn't know that I'm coming for him. Hell, to him I might as well be starving on that God forsaken island you marooned me on."

"Good point," Jack nodded. "But what is there for Barbossa that you're not telling us?"

"There is a temple," she muttered, her voice husky and deep. "A temple that will grant eternal life if you stand beneath it wearing the head dress of Cibola's original leader. It is hidden somewhere deep within the surrounding forests, guarded by tests of wit that will determine if you will exit with the prize alive. When the full moon rises over the city, and changes the gold to silver, you must stand beneath the ark of the temple. There you will recite the chant of the long lost people, and the sacrifice of your soul will make the city gold once more. Until your blood paints the temple red, you will live forever, but everywhere you go, sorrow will follow. The seas will pitch below you, and the wind will tear your masts into nothing but tooth picks. Everyone you ever cared for, or cared about will die before your eyes, because you were selfish enough to grant yourself with eternal life, and leave every mortal soul who ever touched your heart behind."

"Well that's depressing," Jack muttered.

"Yes it is, but everything in life needs a sacrifice, Jack. Even the simplest form of happiness must have sorrow to blossom from."

"So, how are we going to approach this?" Gibbs asked quietly, his eyes darting between his captain and the resting Spaniard.

"We need a fleet," Angelica explained. "The _Queen_ is a vessel crafted by the hand of God. She cannot be taken down easily, and we must have enough people to fight the crew and take the ship without extensive damage to her hulls. We must have enough people to steady her, and fight against her rigging if we meet in battle on the seas. I guess four ships at least. Eight at most."

"Done," Jack stated, nodding to his first mate, who nodded in confirmation as well.

"I can speak to the captains later tonight if ye so please," Gibbs offered.

"That would be appreciated," she muttered, trying to think about what else they would need. "Jack, we must speak with Richard. He has crafted enough weapons for the _Most Holy Trinity_ and the_ Pearl_, but we must outfit an arsenal upon the other ships accompanying us."

"We'll talk to him when we go to check on your ship tomorrow morning."

"Other than that...all we need is our heading."

"Ah-ha," Jack smiled, picking up the compass settled against his hip and shaking it gently. "I can do that...hopefully," he finished, his final word a mutter and practically inaudible.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, love," the captain insisted, opening his compass in hope that the red arrow would turn and point in any other direction instead of directly towards the woman settled in bed. "I'll have your heading before we leave the docks. All we have to do now is wait for your precious ship to be rebuilt and tossed into the water."

"Excellent," she nodded. "Now would you please? My headache is returning and I would like to sleep some more before we return to the yard and help the brothers place the finishing touches upon my ship."

"Feel better, Miss Angelica," Gibbs wished, bowing his head and ducking out of the room while Jack lingered and turned to look at her.

"You too, Jack."

"Do you need anything? If not, I'm going to go to the pub, get more rum, and sit on the deck of the _Pearl_ to make sure no one sneaks on and steals her," Jack stated, smiling and settling his hand comfortably on the hilt of his sword.

"I think I can manage to take care of myself from here on out," she chuckled. "Make sure you don't fall asleep on her decks. It would be a shame for you to wake up imprisoned on your own ship."

"As long as a very tall, beastly, demonic man isn't hiding in the shadows ready to shoot me with a tranquilizer dart at your beck and call...I should be fine," he smirked, swishing two fingers through the air in a gentle salute before making his way from the bedroom, and into the wild night air.


	9. To The Tides

**An: Lucky me! If you guys don't follow me on twitter you wouldn't know but, I made my dad a deal a while ago telling him that if he bought me $100 worth of books from my amazon wish list, I would give him my laptop for a month. He bought my a couple books which I got Monday, which is when I gave him my computer. I think we settled on a week just for those three, but my sister came to town, and I decided to spend the night at my grandparent's house with her. The newest chapter was on the zippy drive I keep on my person most of the time, and alas, here we are with another Sunday! **

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

**Enjoy!  
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><p>Towering masts stretched high into the sky, while new rigging was strung between shimmering pieces of pristine wood. Metal hugged the sides of her ship, while canvas perfectly white and brand new was hoisted to the top of the masts. She was a majesty, and a picture of perfection; a beautiful, beautiful sight to be seen resting comfortably within the rocking waters of the harbor.<p>

"We got done late last night," Richard explained, stepping outside when he noticed the beautiful Spaniard standing within the yard, admiring her ship. "We hoisted her and settled her in the waters. She floats with the best of them, but I'm positive she'll sail even better."

"Her arsenal?"

"Unmatchable," the smith assured. "All crafted from light weight metal, but holds enough fire power to sink a vessel like her before her transformation with one fire of her cannons, and I kept one of poison tipped swords to give to you personally."

Angelica inspected the handle of the blade he extended towards her and allowed her fingers to curl around the gold-inlaid leather. A soft smirk rose to her lips at the sound of the blade slipping from the sheath, but instead of experimenting with how well the sword handled, she in turn let the blade slide between her fingers so she could look at the small hole in the very tip. "The poison. How does it work? How does it come out?"

"The very tip is always lightly poisoned, but the poison is very potent," Richard stated. "The second it touches blood...the person will be a dead man walking. So all I ask is that you keep it in it's sheath until the opportune moment."

"I plan to," she whispered, accepting the sword's sheath and attaching it at her hip after replacing the blade. "Thank you for this."

"Well, Jack told me that Barbossa is a tricky man. No doubt he'll have something just as dangerous, if not more so. You have to be careful with a blade like this, Angelica."

"Your worry for me is touching."

"The worry I speak of is not my own, Miss Teach. I am well aware that you can handle yourself."

"Then who is it you speak for?"

"We both know the answer to that, and we both know I'm not at liberty to say."

"You're at liberty to speak for him, but not identify him?"

"I'm not at liberty to do either, but I chose to do the former anyway."

"Daring, don't you think?" Angelica asked, gently sliding her finger along the curve of her sword's handle. "Speaking words for a man whom would rather keep those words silent. Besides, the man we speak of is not one to worry. You and I both know that."

"I agree that he is not one to worry often, or at all for that matter," Richard stated, his arms coming to cross over his muscular chest. "But there are two things that will always plague his mind. You...and his ship."

"I can take care of myself."

"I know that," the smith nodded. "And so does he, but that doesn't mean he won't worry about you. Why do you think he's going to these extreme lengths to get back the_ Queen Anne's Revenge_? Think about it. He finally has his ship back, the only man who could ever lead a crew successfully enough to steal that ship away is on his way to some god forsaken shore, while he's in the port where loose woman, both beautiful and not, practically pay you to sleep with them. Yet, he's willingly giving that all up to sail with you on another adventure that could cost him his life, his ship, and you. He isn't going to sit around and watch you sail to your death. If you're to be damned to Davy Jones' locker...then by god so is he."

"So, Jack Sparrow does have a noble bone in his body," the Spaniard smiled, the reason for his acceptance on this journey truly flattering. "I believe I sense hell freezing over."

"Well than I suggest a vacation," Jack called as he neared the two; unaware of their conversations before his arrival. "Because it is hot out here."

"That's usually a normal climate description for the Caribbean, Jack," Richard chuckled, watching his friend saunter to Angelica's side.

"I know, but staying stationary makes it all the more unpleasant," the captain grumbled. "When can we start sailing?"

"Look behind you, Jack," Angelica muttered, smiling when he turned and gaped in surprise.

"She's done," he said happily. "And she looks beautiful. A perfect imagine of strength and grace. Can we go now?"

"Have you assembled me a crew?"

"Aye, I had Gibbs go out last night and start signing on sailors, as well as hire the captains who will be commanding the other three ships within our fleet. The pure definition of hell upon the seas, your _Most Holy Trinity_ and my _Pearl_ shall sail beside the _Victoria Marie_, _Satan's Saber_, and the _Cour Valant_. All fine, speedy ships with wonderful captains and a crew that can fight with the best of them," Jack explained. "They await your call, and agreed to a meeting with you at any time, and any place."

"All are indeed fine ships," Richard jumped in. "I know not of _Cour Valant_, for she is a ship obviously crafted in France, but the other two have passed by this yard in search of weaponry and repairs. I believe it is said that the _Victoria Marie_ is one of the fastest ships on the ocean, while _Satan's Saber_ is one of the largest ships, weighted down solely by cannons, guns, swords, and gun powder. Sailing when them on your side will prove a wonderful advantage."

"Yes, but the real question is: can the crew fight?" Angelica asked, raising her eyebrow questioningly. "I'm not sailing to sink my ship. I am sailing to get her back. She mustn't sustain any terrible damage...only their captain must."

"Wonderful fighters, I assure you," Jack said, as always using his hands to openly express his words. "A great group of lads. Strong, sturdy, and mindless when it comes to anything other than listening to their captain."

"Perfect," she smirked. "But will their captains listen to me?"

"These men aren't stupid, Angelica," Sparrow smiled. "They wouldn't dare cross you."

"Good, but I will meet with them either way. If they are up to my standards, we shall sail tonight."

"Well then by all means," Jack rushed, motioning her towards her ship. "Sail that baby to port so we can get this meeting over with."

"So sick of Tortuga already, Jack?" Richard asked, resting against the threshold of the smithing shop, while his friend sighed and gave him a look of pure exhaustion.

"Between keeping up with 'er and my ship, I don't know which one is more tiring," Jack muttered, saluting to Richard in thanks before running to catch up with Angelica so they could cast off her newly refined _Most Holy Trinity_ into her first venture in open waters.

~*~*A+J*~*~

In the daylight hours the pubs of Tortuga were completely empty. Not a soul pranced through these happy halls, and every inch of the building remained immaculate for the oncoming night. Seeing such a bustling place so barren and laid waste shot an uncomfortable chill down Angelica's back. That was before Jack gently settled his fingertips against her lower back and led her into one of the chambers nestled in the back of the pub. There, with rum settled before each seat around a large table, sat three men all unique in their physical appearance.

One, seated at the far left, was a man very thin and small in stature. His face was sharp, but his eyes oddly friendly. His lips were thin, his hair long and curly blond locks that covered his ears, and as he sat, he held a sense of seriousness and gracefulness about him that reminded Angelica of a musician. The man settled beside him was the first man's complete opposite. Large and very filled out muscle wise, the man sitting between the other two had dark hair and eyes that gave him the fierce approach of a man who raped, pillaged, and plundered without a hint of mercy on his conscious. His hands were large and splayed out on the table; his knuckles working and curling to suggest he was impatient, and aggravated from having to sit in the pub with the others for more than five minutes. Lastly, though the most easily identified, was a man with dark hair, but pale skin, and a certain, dare she say,_ je ne sais quoi_, about him. He sat with his back straight, and his pointed chin held high, while his hands sat perfectly folded in his lap. He was a man of pride and manners; one obviously raised in a home much wealthier than the life he leaded to this day.

"Hello gentlemen," Jack stated, interrupting her musings and bringing her back into reality. "To start off this meeting of sorts, I believe I should jump right into the introductions and get all this fuzzy, friendly nonsense out of the way? Agreed? Wonderful! Everyone, this is Angelica Teach, daughter to the late, but wildly famous Edward Teach, known commonly as Blackbeard. Angelica, from left to right as they sit, this is Matthew Williams, captain of the _Victoria Marie_, Joseph Knight, captain of _Satan's Saber_, and lastly Adolphe Dupont, captain of_ Cour Valant_."

"Thank you Jack. I was perfectly incapable of introducing myself," Angelica stated sarcastically, before she stepped closer to the table and allowed each man to shake her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Teach," Matthew stated, his fingers grasping her own like one would grasp the neck of a violin. "I look forward to serving under your command."

"As do I," Adolphe added in; Joseph remaining silent and menacing all together.

"I apologize if I'm taking any of you out of important duties you may have today, but I must clear up any and all peculiarities with you men before we set sail," Angelica said, sitting down and motioning for the others to do the same. "I have only simple questions to ask you men, and that is, are you willing to sail under my ultimate command? Are you men able to follow my orders, and not disregard them under the belief that you know what is best for this fleet?"

"Aye," Matthew assured, his hand rising to push a stray curl of golf from his face. "I assure you, my ship is under your full and ultimate command."

"As is mine," Joseph said; his voice large, deep, and scary to those never hearing his voice before. "As long as I believe you have the lives of my crew in the forefront of your mind, and I believe your decisions intelligent, I will obey."

"And if you believe otherwise?"

"I will tell you," he stated, as if his actions would be obvious. "And hopefully we will be able to reform our plans, but I severely doubt that we will have such troubles."

"Wonderful," Angelica smiled, nodding in acceptance of his proposals, before turning her eyes to Adolphe, who nodded himself.

"My crew, my ship, and my loyalties lie with thee," he assured. "I swear upon the pain of death."

"Then I accept your words of loyalty, and give you fair warning that if you cross me, you will surely regret your mistakes," she said, standing and grasping the tankard of rum still resting before her on the table. "And with that I say we have a drink, and toast to wondrous tides tonight when we make sail for Mexico, and the fabled seven cities of Cibola."

"Aye!" Jack bellowed, stepping forward and taking up his own tankard in sheer excitement. "To the tides."

"To the tides!"


	10. Make Me Yours

**An: Here you go. Another week and another chapter, with a little flashback of cuteness. I hope you enjoy. :D**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>The soft caress of the wind against his face was a feeling he would never get used to. The spray of the sea and the sound of the waves crashing against the hulls of his ship were pure euphoria for him. Above him, dark sails snapped in the wind, and below him, his new founded crew worked hard to man his ship. His hand rested comfortably on the wheel, and the helm itself seemed to keep him rooted in a single place. The majesty of a sailing ship was something he would never get used to, especially when he was sailing on his beautiful <em>Black Pearl<em>.

"Captain," Gibbs called from below. "Do we have our heading?"

"Aye," Jack assured, looking up and aligning himself with the _Most Holy Trinity_. "I will follow Angelica and her ironclad. She will have our heading."

"What shall I tell the crew then?"

"Tell them to keep her with the wind," he stated. "And keep her canvas loose. We mustn't pass the _Trinity_, and if they have nothing better to do after that, then have them secure the rigging and scrub the deck."

"Aye Captain," Gibbs said, making his way from the helm to the deck so he could order the crew to their duties. Jack stood tall at the wheel, the wind whipping through his air, while his eyes fell on the name of Angelica's ship painted beautifully on the back. It had been more than ten years since he had sailed beside her. Ten long years without having her by his side every day and almost every night. Ten long years without having her in a caresses' reach and ten long years without having her knife at his throat. After spending such a long time alone, he had to admit it felt odd being on the same seas with her, and it seemed that with every rise and fall of the vessel below him, he remembered every blissful day he spent with her on the ship he stood upon now over ten years earlier.

~*~*A+J*~*~

"_Man the sails, you sad excuse for humans!" she screamed, nodding to one of the large men standing on the decks below with a whip in his hand. He pulled his hand back and snapped the leather forward; the sickening crack above the men's heads being enough motivation for them to work quicker. Following the steps from the helm to the deck, she made her way through the crew; scrutinizing every living soul working to man the ship and bring her into top speeds through the Mediterranean. "Mr. James," she said, stopping when her eyes fell on the shoulders of a man unworked and refusing to work as he stood uselessly to the side. "What do you think you're doing?"_

"_I was only taking a small break, miss," the terrified man muttered, his brown eyes wide and his tanned, calloused hands shaking. "I've been manning the masts all day, and my hands are burnt from the rope. I only needed some time to let the pain subside. I just needed a small break."_

"_When you signed on to sail on this ship, you agreed to work on this ship. I could care less if your hands are burnt. Wrap them and get back to work," Angelica spat, her hair slapping angrily against the side of her face. "If not, bare your back and prepare for your lashings."_

"_Yes ma'am," James said, turning over his raw and bloodied hands to inspect them before grasping the ropes once more and tightening them against his searing pain._

_Huffing in distaste, she turned on her heel and returned to her position looking over the crew from the railings of the helm. She turned to face the large man standing at the wheel; her eyebrow quirking as she looked over the man who seemed to stand as if his spine was made of steel. "Quartermaster," she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Can you give me our direction?"_

"_We are heading northwest, Miss Angelica," the quartermaster replied, his voice deep and melodic._

"_Why are we heading northwest? There is nothing to the northwest but land."_

"_Captain Sparrow informed me where to go, miss. I did not make the decisions this time."_

"_Jack," she hissed, nodding her thanks to the quartermaster before descending to the deck and pushing her way through the two large doors below the helm. Sitting at a large desk with a map spread out before him, Captain Jack Sparrow sat with his compass in his hand; his eyes glued to the red arrow pointing towards the northwest._

"_Hello, Angelica," he greeted, looking upon his compass a second longer, before closing the device and placing it in the middle of the map on his desk. "What troubles you today, my love?"_

"_The fact that we're heading in the wrong direction," she stated, making her way to his desk and allowing her knuckles to rest on the strong oak. "We are in the Mediterranean sea, Jack. You want to know what is always towards the northwest? Land. Lots of land. Huge continents to be more specific. So why the hell are we heading that way?"_

"_Because that is where my compass points," Jack stated, standing from his seat to meet her eye for eye. "Compasses are to be followed, are they not?"_

"_No, they're supposed to tell you what direction is where," Angelica corrected. "It's the captain's duty to know where to go."_

"_I don't think so," he smirked, slowly making his way around his desk to stand before her. "I always follow my compass, and I always get where I need to go. Though, I never know where I'm going to go originally. I simply let my compass lead me where it wants to."_

"_Listen Sparrow," she hissed, taking up his compass and shoving it into his chest. "You're compass is worthless. It doesn't even point north. How are you supposed to find your way through the seas if you can't even find north."_

"_I'm not trying to find north, my love," he laughed, placing his compass on his desk once more, before allowing his fingers to rise and slide down her cheek. "You've resisted my affections for the past couple of days, sweetness. It's making you irritable."_

"_A woman has a dignity she must maintain," she stated strongly despite the shiver of pleasure curling around her spine at the feeling of his fingers sliding from her cheek, down the line of her shirt, and across the tops of her breasts. He allowed his lips to fall to her neck as his arms circled her waist; their chests pressing together deliriously while he bared his teeth to gently nip at her pulse. "I know what you're trying to do," Angelica chuckled, her fingers walking their way up his chest before pushing him away from her._

"_Oh," he questioned, keeping a hand at her hip even as she pushed him away from her. "And what might that be?"_

"_You're trying to distract me, so I'll stop yelling at you."_

"_It worked, did it not?"_

"_I suppose...for now," she smiled, shrugging a shoulder nonchalantly before she made her way to look out onto the crewmen working upon the deck. "But I won't remain distracted forever. Many of your crew members are weakening and slacking in their responsibilities. Since you're so preoccupied with your compass, it seems that I have to be the devil to whip them back into their places."_

"_You must relax, Angelica," Jack chuckled, walking up behind her and resting his hands on her shoulders; gently using his thumbs to massage away some of the tension built up within her muscles. "Sit back, enjoy the view, have a bottle of rum if you please. You don't always need to keep the crew working. They know their own breaking points, and I need my crew in high spirits and good health; not slaves forced to work until their hearts stop. Lighten up on them. We'll get where we need to go no matter how long it takes."_

_A pleasured groan left her soft lips as his hands lowered their massage to the small of her back; his fingers gently sneaking under the hem of her shirt to apply his pressure directly to her skin. A gasp of pain shot through the air as his thumbs dug deep into the muscle around her spine, before a throaty moan vibrated around them like sea thunder. She reached behind her, and brought his hand from her hip to her stomach. His thumb brushed against her taut skin, and her lips turned up into a devilish smile when she felt the tightness of her corset slowly disappear to the loose garment falling to the floor of his quarters. Her white undershirt billowed from her thin frame, and with new access to her skin, his hand rose further to flatten right above her belly button; the tips of his fingers tickling her ribs._

"_You're quite obvious of your intentions, Jack," she whispered, allowing her hand to rise and cup his cheek behind her. "Usually you go to more elaborate extremes than this."_

"_I don't need to," he assured. She shivered roughly as she felt his lips press a tender kiss to the inside of her wrist, before he bent his head to nibble along the line of her shoulder. "I know when you want something love-"_

"_But do you know exactly what I want?"_

"_You want peace...relaxation, some time without worry or stress," he answered, his lips moving against her ear as his voice caressed her like he caressed her stomach. "I can give that to you. I can always give that to you, and you will always know that."_

"_Sparrow," Angelica murmured, turning in his arms and tilting her head slightly as she analyzed the gentle glimmer in his eyes. "You are a man dangerously sure of himself. You realize that don't you?"_

"_Who would I be if I wasn't?"_

"_A man much less sure, and much less interesting."_

_She stepped forward and settled her hands on his chest; leaning up and seductively biting along his jaw all the while walking him backwards towards the bed settled at the far end of the room. He laughed softly, his nerves sparking wildly as fire flowed through his veins faster than his blood. He kept his grasp on her hips as her perfect body pushed his own backwards, but allowed his arms to fall over his head when the hands at his chest shot forward and sent him flying onto his bed. "But I believe the real question is: what is it that you want...Captain?"_

"_Isn't that obvious, love?" he asked, sitting up and reaching out to bring her to stand between his legs._

"_Only a little," she teased, glancing down to his lap before meeting his eyes once more. She laughed sweetly and he smiled as well, before he curled his fingers around the back of her knees and pulled her into his lap. Her knees planted by his hips and her arms circled his neck while one of his hands grasped her waist and kept her still. His free hand rose into the soft curls of her dark brown hair; his grip tightening within the locks while tilting her head back to allow him to place suckling kisses against the curve of her throat._

_Rough moans soared from her lips, while her nails dug into the skin of his nape."You might want to be a little bit nicer, sweetness," he murmured as he kissed the hollow of her throat. "That is...unless you want me to stop."_

"_Do, and I'll kill you."_

"_Then say it."_

"_No."_

"_Say it," he hissed, gripping her waist under her shirt while gently biting her ear._

"_Take me, Captain Sparrow," she spat, before he pulled back to see her eyes alight with a mixture of hatred and lust. "Make me yours."_

~*~*A+J*~*~

Smirking softly as he came out of his reverie, Jack's grasp on the handles of the wheel tightened; his memory of that night vividly playing before his eyes while his first mate climbed the steps to the helm. "Captain," Gibbs muttered as he moved to Jack's side. "Miss Angelica says we should tighten our masts. She wants to beat the current as much as possible before the night falls and the water turns towards the shore."

"Follow her instructions then."

"She also says that we will drop anchor the second we hit slack water so the captains can meet to analyze the charts."

The image of the romanticism of a night upon the sea reared it's ugly head, and a smile of challenge quirked at the corner of his lips as he imagined the possibilities of opportunities that make their presence known under the cover of night fall. His free hand rose, and brought the lip of the bottle to touch his own before he allowed the sweet tasting rum to run a trail of fire down his throat. "What say ye captain?" Gibbs asked eventually, his bushy brow stretching towards his hairline as the man beside him failed to react to anything except his own thoughts soaring through his mind.

"Tighten the masts, Mr. Gibbs," Jack ordered, finishing off his bottle of rum, and squinting in confusion as he analyzed the last drop. "And have someone bring me more rum."


	11. Distress Signal

**An: My internet is being shotty, so I decided that while my phone wants to work, I might as well post this chapter. So far, this is one of my favorites (at least for the end part) so I hope you enjoy. :)**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>"Explain to me, Captain Teach; if you permit me addressing you as such," Joseph Knight started the second he stepped through the doors of the Spanish captain's cabin. "Why have we cast anchor in the middle of the bloody sea when we could very well speed forward to Mexico while having this little gathering of ours?"<p>

"Because, Captain Knight, if you took notice to the tides you would be aware that the current is terribly strong through this pass. Being the insightful captain I know you are, you would realize that both of our ships lack the speed of those of our peers, though make up for such a loss with heavy artillery and superb weaponry. Therefore, the seas at this time are impassable by our vessels, and if we dare continue to sail through the night we would ultimately risk sailing backwards as well as losing our direction. And yes, you may address me with my father's name. Now...does anyone else feel my decision to be, well, stupid?"

"No Captain," Captain Williams assured, his voluptuous blond curls bouncing as he bowed his head in respect. "We wondered solely of your reasons."

"Well, you have them," Angelica muttered as her delicate feet led her around a large table covered by an equally large map depicting the surrounding land and sea. "Now, shall we assess our position, or retire to our beds unaware and uncaring of our progress towards the Seven Cities?"

Jack smirked from his position at the far end of her cabin, his eyes once attracted to a shiny necklace of hers before he found the fear gathering in the eyes of two of the three captains much more interesting. "Relax Angelica," he soothed, the words indeed allowing some tension to slip from her neck and shoulders. "They will do as you say. Joey just likes to take a more aggressive approach when in search of information."

"What did I tell you about calling me that Sparrow?" Knight spat, veins of anger pressing themselves against his taut, tan skin.

"Dear apologies friend," Jack purred, waving his hand through the air. "Simply trying to lighten the mood."

"Worry not, for the mood is light _chers amis_," Captain Dupont stated in his thick French accent. "We shall drink from the glasses of our commodore and let no burden darken our times together. Now, I kept a very conscious eye on the speed of my vessel and the length of time we have been sailing, and it is my belief that we are right around here," he finished before trailing his finger along a northwestern line from Haiti to a patch of sea between Cuba's northern border and Florida's southern tip. "We still have a while to go before we reach Mexican shores, but we are making good time."

"Can his readings and conclusions be trusted Jack?" Angelica asked, using the tip of her finger to push a small wooden ship to the place where Dupont's nail rested.

"Spot on," Jack assured. "Adolphe is genius in mathematics. Studied it at a big, fancy university in France before taking leave for the seven seas."

"Interesting," she accepted, the small smirk on her lips proving she was impressed by the Frenchman's scholarly achievements. "So, we are in the cape. Captain Dupont, you are aware of the current, are you not?"

"I am indeed," Dupont nodded. "It is strong tonight, but it shall grow weary when the sun rises."

"Yes, but it will still have power. Do you imagine we will be able to muscle our way past by tomorrow's sunset?"

"It's a stretch," the Frenchman muttered, allowing a beautifully manicured finger to slide from the western point of the cape to the eastern. "This is one of the main water flows leading out from the gulf. Being squished between two large bodies of land causes the waves to be more unforgiving. Like you said, the _Most Holy Trinity_ and _Satan's Saber_ lack the speed the rest of our vessels have, but if we start early in the morning right as the currents start to slow, I believe we can make our way out of the cape and into the gulf by nightfall tomorrow."

"Wonderful," Angelica mused, looking up to Captains Knight and Williams, who bothy nodded their heads in acceptance of their plans. "Hazard me a guess Adolphe. How long until we reach Mexico?"

"As long as no complications present themselves, I would guess three days at the earliest."

"Alright, thank you captains. We will sail at dawn tomorrow, and meet within my cabin to discuss our progress tomorrow night at the same time," she nodded, the tip of her finger settling on the top of the little ship's tallest mast. To any other outside source, it would have seemed that Angelica was simply contemplating a lost thought while she dismissed the others, but Jack was aware that something deeper was haunting her mind. Her shoulders were tight and her back straight. Lines of worry deepened within her Spanish skin, and her dark chocolate eyes glimmered dimly as they focused solely on the wooden ship before her. A sigh escaped her lips, and with a flick of her finger the little ship toppled over and skidded into the lands of Florida; resting there while Angelica stared at it helplessly. He was poised by her door, hidden in the shadows and contemplating his course of action before the Spaniard turned from her chart table and moved to stand behind her desk. "I know you're there Sparrow. No use trying to hide yourself."

"What tipped you off?"

"I could hear you breathing," she smirked, looking down to the papers strewn across her desk's dark mahogany top. "And I knew that if it were anyone aboard this fleet to recognize my distress, it would be you...unfortunately."

"We've barely left port and you look as though someone has shot a gaping hole through the hulls of your ship," Jack stated, moving to her chart table and picking up the little ship cast on its side. "You're worried about something, but you don't want the other captains to know."

"Jack, my fears were clear," she muttered, rubbing her neck before her fingers pulled away the pins holding up the tendrils of her dark brown hair. "My ship is slow, at least compared to the _Pearl_ and the others. The currents in this area are rough and treacherous; threatening anyone brave enough to sail upon her with death and destruction. Hurricanes lurk around every corner on these open seas, at least at this time of year, and I fear my ship doesn't have the ability to push through this current and make it into the gulf before the sun sets once more. Her iron sides weigh her down, and the sea is thirsty for blood."

"Angelica," he whispered, his hand rising to cradle her neck in the way he knew soothed her. He could hear her breathing escalate, and saw her eyes close; the comfort of her age old secret surrounding her like a perfectly heated blanket. "There are ways around this cape. We will get to Mexico-"

"It's not getting there I'm worried about," she interrupted, her voice soft and seemingly deprived of its usual Latin fire. "It is time that ails me. As long as storms don't rise on the horizon, I have no doubt our vessels will rest off the coast of Mexico, but by the time we get there the one-legged will be long gone, as well as my ship. Anchoring through the night is maiming our efforts considerably, and I fear we will simply be too late."

"Now love, don't talk like that. Where is your spirit? Your ambition? Your fire? There is always a way around any sort of predicament. Trust me, I know," he stated, his hand sliding down her arm until he took up her hand and placed the ship figurine within her palm. "You just have to be creative."

"Not this time Jack," she resigned, closing her hand around the small ship before she stepped around her desk and placed the figurine in its former place within the drawing of the water. "There is no outwitting the Devil, nor is there a way to bend his intentions to your will. We will try our hardest to sail with haste, but only the tide will tell."

"Keep a weather eye on the horizon I suppose," Jack chuckled, sharing a soft smile with her before he risked letting the backs of his knuckles caress her heated cheek. "Don't fret so much. You'll lose your concentration, and this isn't an appropriate time for you to do so. Now, get some rest. We set sail at dawn, remember?"

"Trying to give orders to your commodore Sparrow?" she asked teasingly, turning to him with a hand on her popped hip and eyes warmed by his affections. "Such acts can be seen as mutinous."

"Me? Commit mutiny? Now love, surely you know me better than that," he insisted, charm emanating from him along with the usual smell of rum.

"I do know you Jack," she smirked. "That's the problem, but I suppose there is one thing you are right about, I need to rest, but...do you mind helping me with one thing first?"

"It depends..."

"Loosen my corset for me," she asked, turning her back to him and brushing her long locks of hair over one shoulder. "Please?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely, it will be my pleasure," Jack whispered, his devilish smile bringing a gentle chuckle to her lips even though it was out of her range of sight. "You wouldn't need help removing anything else would you? You know I love to help."

Relief touch her in the form of full inhalation and use of the lungs within her once constricted chest. Though she already had a desirable figure, the corset provided the touch of femininity needed aboard a ship inhabited by men, and such a garment always proved uncomfortable, no matter how thin its wearer. "So kind of you to ask," she muttered eventually, her voice soft and seductive as the boat rocked back and forth like a large cradle. "But I believe I can handle it from here."

"Suit yourself sweetness," he smirked, his hands holding her hips as he gently stepped forward to mold his chest with the curve of her back. "You and I both know I could have you undressed in a matter of seconds."

"_¡__Buen Dios por encima de!_ Leave, Jack," Angelica growled, looking over her shoulder before removing his hands from her and turning to look at him with an amused quirk in her eyebrow. His smile though, was glorious and smug. Two fingers rose in a soft salute as he made his way through the majestic doors leading to the deck; the feeling of her eyes on his back making his smile even greater as he heard her chuckle one last time before retiring to the sanctity of her bed. A soft sadness nipped at his insides as he remembered her stress, and the fatal hopelessness that the ocean was to be anything but helpful in retrieving her long lost treasure.

_'There is no outwitting the Devil.'_

The words stuck with him uncomfortably as he reached for the rope fastened to the railing of her ship. He held tight to the woven fabric and settled his boots against the elevated wood. The wind buffed his clothes, and his swaying body almost dared to swing to his beloved _Black Pearl_, but that was before her words sparked a thought deep within his mind.

_'There is no outwitting the Devil.'_

"Oh dear Angelica, yes there is."


	12. Outwitting The Devil

**An: So, my friend told me that the alerts last week were kind of shotty, so I suggest that if you didn't read the chapter last week, and didn't get the alert, get at it. Other than that, enjoy! :D**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>Running quietly below deck, Jack grimaced as he did his best to step around the many sleeping sailors that had missed their hammocks in their drunken stupor. Resting in the furthest corner; guarded by many unconscious bodies that smelled vaguely of sweat and rotting fish; was his first mate, content in his hammock high off the ground. Stepping behind him, Jack extending a single finger forward, poking his friend's arm and whispering his name in hopes of awaking him easily. Gibbs though, simply grumbled and swatted whatever was trying to disturb his precious sleep. A frown touched the captain's lips and his hand settled on his first mate's shoulder, shaking him roughly, but to no avail. A final sigh left his lips, and with dwindling patience, Jack grasped for the edge of Gibbs' hammock and pulled; sending his first mate tumbling to the deck below.<p>

"I'll kill you bloody scum!" he yelled, his voice booming and bringing a few of the other sailors out of their sleep, but in no way fazing Jack.

"You're a heavy sleeper mate," the captain smiled, reaching his hand forward to help Gibbs to his feet. "And I need your help."

"Right now? While we're docked? What could you possibly need help with?"

"We need to get to Barbossa as quickly as possible, and it's hard for Knight and Angelica's ships to make it through this current. But staying here through the night does us no good mate, so I came up with an idea."

"Ah...another one of Jack's famous ideas...go on."

"I'll inform you of it later," Jack assured. "As of right now, I have to tell the other captains of my plan, and have them move their ships into position. Right now, I want you to raise enough men to help hoist the sails and set the Pearl into motion. Savvy?"

"Aye, Cap'n. I'll do as such," Gibbs nodded, watching Jack try and make his way through the mass of bodies once more, before he finally grew tired of avoiding them and simply stepped on them if they got in his way. "Alright you scallywags! Rise and shine! I need a crew of ya to get to the deck. We be sailin' soon if I'm correct! Come on now! Get up!"

~*~*A+J*~*~

"What is this about, Sparrow?" Captain Knight asked, as he and the other two captains stepped into his cabin. "It's not like you to still be coherent at this time of night."

"I decided to stay the rum tonight," Jack mumbled, before he picked up the bottle of rum Joseph was helping himself to and took a swig. "Mostly."

"Tell us what you want, Jack," Joseph demanded, settling in his large, ornamental chair behind his desk.

"I spoke with Angelica after our meeting, and during our conversation I got an idea. A brilliant idea at that. An idea that will help us speed through this current, and fly towards Mexico. But for such an idea to be made reality...I'll need help."

"What is your idea, Jack?" Captain Williams asked, his handsome face turned up in an amused smirk as he watched the animate pirate explain himself.

"Well, we are all aware that Angelica's ship, and Knight's ship are heavy ships, and prove troublesome when pushing through the current in this pass. My idea is that we place the _Pearl_, the _Victoria Marie_, and the _Cour Valant _at the front of our fleet. Then we will place _Satan's Saber_, and the_ Most Holy Trinity_ behind our three. We'll fashion our ships together with rope, and hoist our sails. With the speed of our three ships together, we'll be able to tow Knight's and Angelica's vessels through this current, and very well make our way into the gulf by sunrise. Now what do you say," Jack asked, smiling a devious and almost evil smile.

Williams and Dupont shared a look; twin smiles gracing their faces at the thought of such adventure. They nodded their heads to Jack, silently agreeing to help him, but Joseph held his hand up. "What of our commodore? Does she know?"

"No, but I have already spoken with her first mate. Think of this as a...surprise or a gift for our beloved commodore."

"It's not safe to be defying our boss this early in our voyage Jack, and Angelica seems to be the unforgiving type. I'm all for getting through his current, and continuing to sail towards our destination, but shouldn't she be aware of our plans?"

"Probably, but if she has a problem, I'm sure she'll come directly to me," he smiled. "Though Captain, I want you to think of it this way. We're making progress, tremendous progress, towards the one thing she wants most in this world. How could she be angry if we are simply helping her get what was lost to her?"

"I suppose, but know if she comes for us with a hell bent fury, best know that it will be you I send her to," Joseph said, standing from behind his desk and settling his hand on the sword that always rested at his hip.

"I would expect nothing less, mate."

"Fine," Knight nodded. "I will awake my first mate and move my ship into position. You give us the signal, and we will hoist our sails."

"Aye," Williams and Dupont agreed, following Jack out onto the deck of the _Satan's Saber._

"Williams, I ask that you place your ship to my right, Dupont, yours to my left. Joseph, you will place your ship beside Angelica's, and then we will start tying them together. Try and scrounge up as much extra rope as you can, we'll need a hefty amount to keep the fibers from pulling apart," Jack asked, making his way to the siding of the _Saber_. "Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all," Williams said, his curls bouncing as he pulled himself onto the siding, and grasped the rope that was to swing him back to the deck of his ship. "I always keep piles upon piles of extra rigging below deck. One can never be too careful I always say."

"As do I," Dupont stated. "I'll have my men haul it aboard deck, and fashion it with hooks so we can toss it to each other with ease."

"Wonderful plan gentlemen, now, rouse your men and move your ships. We must do this quickly, and quietly. I would prefer we have everything fastened and our ship moving while our dearest commodore is still sleeping."

~*~*A+J*~*~

The ropes of the rigging rubbed against his hands as he climbed above the deck of his ship; watching as his men scrambled below in hopes of pulling all of their unused rope from below. Hooks were tied to the ends of the curls of rope, and drug to the side; men's eyes cast upwards awaiting the instruction of their captain. Jack surveyed their position, his eyes looking over the ships resting in their planned position; all majestic and beautiful with their masts stretching towards the moon shining over them. He nodded finally, stretching his hand out and giving the signal to the men below, who swung their hooks and tossed them to their counterparts aboard the decks of the other ships.

The first connections between their fleet were fashioned, and another nod of his head sent the ropes flying back to their original holders. The ropes were wrapped around the railings and sent back once more, connecting all four ships to the _Pearl_ in an intricate web. Then in turn, the other ships tossed them between themselves; making sure that if any headway were to be made that night, it would be made with all ships emerging together. Men heaved and hauled together; tossing and receiving in perfect synchronization until all of the rope brought forth by the captains was tied between the ship of his peers. Once that final knot was tied, and the connection of ropes was assured to be secure, Jack descended from his perch above.

Making his way up to the helm, Jack glanced over his shoulder and noticed the first mates of the other captains watching intently for his direction. Settling his hands on the handles of the wheel, Jack nodded to the crew; watching as they slowly allowed the _Black Pearl_ to take wind beneath her sails. He gave the symbol to Gibbs, and Gibbs relayed the message to those waiting to receive it aboard the _Victoria Marie_ and _Cour Valant_. Soon, their sails were filling, pulling at the ropes behind them, as well as the ones connected to the _Pearl_ as they stretched forward in hopes of gaining distance through the pitch black sea.

The railing behind them creaked dangerously, and some sailors alerted their captains that their ship was bending under the pressure, but before the pressure became so much that it tore away the ship, Jack signaled the _Most Holy Trinity_ and the _Satan's Saber_ behind him. With haste, they dropped their sails, and allowed the wind to fill them violently. They wretched forward, and came dangerously close to the other three, but with the slack provided by the two larger ships behind them, the straining speed boats at the front took it as an opportunity to sail forward; pushing through the current with ease, with their two heavily armored counterparts in perfect tow.

"It's working Jack!" Gibbs said excitedly, as he climbed his way atop the helm to stand by his captain's side. "Your plan is actually working."

"Of course it is," Jack smiled, his voice hinting that the proud captain had indeed doubted himself, though had refused to admit it out loud.

"What now, Cap'n?"

"Now," he chuckled, accepting the rum extended towards him by one of his crewmen. With a smile on his face, he pulled himself onto the railing along the stern of his ship; cradled in his rigging as the warmth of rum touched his lips. "Now Mr. Gibbs, we wait."

~*~*A+J*~*~

The soft rocking of a ship always made it easy for her to sleep, but the soft patter of feet outside her door gained her attention fairly easily. Groggy and tired, she turned over at first; repositioning herself within her pillows in hopes of falling asleep once more. Though, a sudden lurch of her ship seemed to jerk her from her reverie, and sent her flying into a sitting position within her bed.

With extreme haste and anger, Angelica redressed herself, and adorned her body with the many leather sheaths for her weapons, before she stalked from her room in search of blood. She had awaken one too many times to a mutiny, and was in no mood to deal with another the first night during their voyage. Her hand at her sword and her arm at the ready, she tore onto her decks and ordered her men quickly; realizing she was screaming in Spanish after her sailors stood looking at her with a dumbfounded expression.

Ignoring them completely, she pulled herself on the helm; extending her sword towards her first mate who stood with his dark hands easily gripping the wheel. "Explain yourself, Señor Fernandez," she hissed, her Spanish tongue wildly accenting her every word.

"I apologize, senorita," Fernandez said, turning to her and placing a hand over his heart before bowing in respect. "But I believe if you take a look, you will appreciate what you see."

Narrowing her shimmering eyes, she sheathed her weapon and slowly dragged her gaze from the young Spaniard she trusted to run her ship under her command. With ease, she followed the curved stairs onto the deck, which led her towards the sight of the _Black Pearl_ looming above like a vicious steed against the night sky. Grasping the rigging towards the front of the ship, she pulled herself up; scanning said vicious steed for the one person she knew would be watching.

And there he sat, looking directly at her even across the distance the ships held between their ropes. He brought his bottle of rum to his lips and tipped his hat in a salute; the wind whipping at her hair and bringing memories of Spain to the forefront of his mind. Even from their distance she was painstakingly beautiful, and even from their distance he could see her brilliant smile.

"Jack Sparrow," she murmured to herself, laughing sweetly as she looked down to view the current passing under her ship as if she held the speed of the _Black Pearl_, the _Victoria Marie_, and the _Cour Valant_ together in one vessel. "You are a madman...a brilliant madman, but a madman no less."


	13. Feisty

**An: Welcome to another week of reading, but sadly, this week I have some actual news to report. Today, (in actually twelve hours) I will be waiting in my school getting ready to leave for five days for Band Camp. Meaning, I will not have my laptop and will have to resort to writing the newest chapter on paper. I'm not a big fan of writing on paper, and I won't have much time to myself, let alone enough energy for me to speak proper English. So, if the next chapter is a little late, please forgive me. I will make sure to have it out as soon as possible.**

**Enjoy!**

**Twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>The unrelenting sun rose above the water, kissing the horizon good morning before climbing higher into the sky. Drifting through the gulf's calm water, the fleet of five lowered their sails and slowed their speed while sailors untied the bindings between their fellow ships. Rope was hauled aboard their proper decks while the wind snapped at the loose canvas hanging limply from the masts. Her hair split and slid against her neck and face, and the fierce southern sun beat down upon her darkened Spanish skin.<p>

"Señorita," her first mate called, his accent smooth and melodic as he approached his captain. "Our ships are free of their holds. Shall we tighten our sails and continue westward?"

"Sí, señor. Tighten the sails and relay the order to the other captains," Angelica ordered, placing her hat upon her head in hopes of keeping her hair in place and the sun out of her eyes.

"Sí, mi capitán," Fernandez accepted, bowing in his traditional fashion before he lowered himself to the deck and began spouting orders; half in English, half in Spanish. The sailors followed easily; working together to heave the ropes and tighten the sails towards the direction of the wind. The _Most Holy Trinity_ stretched forward from the fleet; her metal sides gleaming and reflecting the light from the blinding sun. Fernandez made his way to the stern, and ordered the others to follow their lead; all four ships slowly tightening their own sails and following after the ship of their commodore.

The_ Pearl_ caught up first, closing the distance between she and the _Most Holy Trinity_ in seconds. As soon as he was sailing by Angelica's side, Jack ordered his men to slacken the sails and keep pace; giving the sailors a chance to relax at their stations. Resting at the helm, he cast his gaze sideways, catching the proud Spanish captain with her chin stuck high in the air. He could see her speaking to her first mate, and could barely discern the sweet tone of her voice over the ocean's roaring breeze.

"Cap'n," Gibbs muttered when he reached Jack's side, his gaze following that of his friend's. "Would you like me to stand at the helm?"

"Yes," Jack said absently, allowing his hand to let go of the wheel and hand it over to his trusty first mate. "I believe I have some work to do in my cabin. Papers to be read, and rum to be consumed."

"Aye," Gibbs laughed, taking up his captain's position behind the wheel. "There is a fresh bottle awaiting you in your cabin, Jack. You should take some time to yourself. Get some sleep. You've been up all night, remember?"

"Sleep would be nice. Sleep and rum. Sounds like a plan, Mr. Gibbs," the captain smirked. "Wake me once we cast anchor."

"Will do, Cap'n," his friend accepted, watching Jack disappear into his cabin before his eyes rose to focus on the open ocean stretched out before the pointed bow of the majestic _Black Pearl_.

~*~*A+J*~*~

He heard the majestic doors entering his cabin open while his eyes remained closed, but the bottle of rum that he downed before eventually falling asleep gave him a sense of apathy as he slept. He grumbled roughly; hoping that he would be able to rouse himself, but ultimately failed when he tossed onto his side and found his current position ten times more comfortable than the position he was in before. Soft footsteps resounded in the back of his mind, and the sound of someone breathing alerted him of the heat he felt against his cheek, though it was oddly comforting. A gentle laugh whispered against his ears, and once his bloodshot eyes opened, he almost gasped at the sight before him.

Crouched down before him, with shimmering eyes and a slightly quirked smile, was Angelica. His cabin was dark, except for a dimming candle, and the light from said candle tinted her skin an almost ethereal gold. Her hair looked soft, and he could smell the perfume held between every umber strand. All in all, she looked beautiful, as she always did, but with the alcohol still surging through his veins, he found it harder and harder for him to keep his usual composure.

"You know, sleep is a lot more enjoyable when you wake up without a hangover," Angelica whispered softly, her chin resting on her arms she had folded against the side of his mattress.

"I'm not hungover," he chuckled halfheartedly. "I'm just not sober yet. Though, I think I should bring up—since you're so keen on helping me—sleep is also very much enjoyable when there is a beautiful woman to wake up to."

"I suppose it's quite depressing that the only time that will happen any time soon, is right now," she smiled; laughing softly and sweetly in a way that tugged at what he could aptly name as 'heart strings'.

"Why are you here?"

"We decided to continue sailing through the night, and the captains switched with their first mates to relax and have our meeting within the hour. I saw you disappear into here awhile ago, and I decided I would swing over and see if you were still alive. I also want to talk to you about what you did last night."

"Do you really think I'm well enough to have that conversation right now, love?"

Completely ignoring his attempt to avoid the conversation, she simply looked at him through glossy amber eyes. Her long eye lashes licked at her cheeks when her eyelids closed, and the soft innocence in her face sent him falling onto his back; his arm covering his eyes in a manner that pushed her onward in her conversation. "I don't know if I should kill you, or kiss you for what you did for me last night."

"I've crossed paths with death one too many times," he murmured against his sleeve. "So I hope that if you must choose from one of those two options, you choose the latter most one."

"Why did you do it? Why did you go through all the trouble?"

"Don't try and flatter yourself deary," he slurred, smiling evilly even though his eyes still remained covered. "I formulated my plan simply because I like to see my ship moving. You were holding me back, so I decided to pull you along."

"Try and lie your way out of this as much as you want, Jack. I know you did what you did with me in mind. It's sweet to see you create one of your crazy schemes for the benefit of someone else," she chuckled, moving until she was sitting on the edge of the mattress by his hip, while her elbow rested on the leg he had bent and extended towards the air. "It makes me belief you might actually be human."

"I say again," Jack grumbled, peeking at her from under his elbow. "Don't flatter yourself, love."

"I am flattered no less," she chuckled, allowing her hand to settle on his knee for a moment. "Thank you."

He frowned as he felt the bed underneath him rise at the absence of her weight. Her boots knocked against the wooden floors, and his arm fell to his side; his eyes squinted as he watched her hips sashay as she walked. "That's it? Thank you?"

She smiled and placed a hand on her hip; slowly walking towards him with a look in her eye that made him believe she was coming closer to devour him. He sat up expectantly; his head swimming from the empty bottle of rum sitting by his bed, and simply watched; mesmerized by her as if she was a delectable Spanish courtesan. She bent forward, his eyes falling to the cleavage that practically spilled from the ruffled line of her shirt. Two of her fingers touched against his knee, walking their way up to his upper thigh until she allowed herself to lean on her hand, and bring her lips a hair's breadth away from his ear. She heard the barely-there hitch in his breath, and allowed a soft chuckle to leave her lips; her words slipping from her mouth saucily the second she felt his hand rise and settle on her lower back.

"_Tonto pirata_," he heard; her voice like liquid gold as her breath tickled at the side of his face. He could feel her under his hand, and felt the air around him vibrate. "Don't flatter yourself."

And then, she was gone.

"Hey!" he grumbled, when the hand she had once settled precariously on his upper thigh rose to push against his chest and sent him flying onto his back.

"Wake up, Sparrow!" Angelica called over her shoulder as she turned and walked towards the doors leading to the _Pearl's_ deck. "We will have a captain's meeting in half an hour, and I expect you as close to sober as possible."

Jack grumbled in response; calming himself down and waiting for the sound of her departure before he sat up and reached for the rum bottle he had rested by his bed the night before. In hopes that a last sip would be present, he tipped the bottle up; his dry tongue waiting expectantly for the smooth and fiery alcohol to course down his throat, but it was to no avail.

"Why is the rum always gone?"

~*~*A+J*~*~

"Ah, Captain Sparrow," Matthew greeted; his body resting eloquently in one of the two imperial chairs present within Angelica's office. "So nice of you to finally join us."

"I apologize for my tardiness," Jack soothed, smiling with his usual charm, before turning his eyes to the smirking Spaniard settled behind her deck. "It seems that when I awoke, I did not awake as drunk as I pleased, and alas, my rum was gone. So, reasonably, I had to spend some time searching for something to drink below decks before I met with you find lady and gents, or else I would be nothing more than a blubbering fool."

"Isn't that what you always are Jack? With or without rum," Joseph asked, leaning against the side of Angelica's desk, and casting his glance down to her when she snorted with amusement. "Or has that simply been my experience with you?"

"It is all of our experiences," Angelica assured, standing and stepping around Joseph before she brought herself to the edge of her map. "Now, Adolphe. What have been your findings from our travels last night and today."

"I have been sitting aboard the decks of my ship all day," the Frenchman started, stepping into the circle of captains around the table. "And all the while I've been cataloging the winds, their speeds, their directions, as well as keeping my eyes on the rocking waves below our ships. Jack's idea to tow the ships through the rougher current was brilliant, and as soon as we are finished with our meeting, we can raise our anchors and set off once more. We have been sailing in a straight westward line, which leads me to conclude that we are well on our way to touching the middle of the gulf. Something that has come to my attention when we cast our anchors though was that we are starting to sail into waters of lower level than that of their counter parts a few leagues north. I believe if we sail most of the day in a northwestern line, and then turn our ships to the southwest, we will land in Mexico by the early light of the day after tomorrow."

"Interesting," Angelica mused, as her finger once again moved the small ship figurine to the place Adolphe indicated. "So the sea around this area is shallow?"

"Not shallow per say," Dupont corrected. "But shallower. It is obvious that as the surf approaches the sea, the water level declines drastically, but instead of dramatic drop offs, the land beneath the sea mostly slopes down, until it reaches a level that is suitable for the ecosystem below."

"Are we still able to sail in these shallower waters?"

"Yes, I believe it won't prove a problem."

"Then why not continue on our western line?" Angelica asked, drawing a line with the tip of her nail. "That way we could reach the area of Mexico we need in a days time, and be given more time to find the one-legged man."

"It was only a suggestion my commodore," Adolphe assured. "We will follow the orders of that which you command."

"Then we will continue our western course, and reconvene tomorrow at the same time if we haven't reached shore," she ordered, her eyes darting between her captains one final time before they nodded and slowly filed their ways from her cabin. Last to leave, of course, was Jack; following suit with the other captains, but not before he walked behind his Spanish commodore and whispered "Feisty," right by her ear.


	14. Not Here Alone

**An: So, I sort of have to whip this up quickly to post it by today, seeing as how during Band Camp we only had an hour and a half each day that was considered our free time, and during such time, we mostly slept. On top of that, I am sick with a head cold, and hating the fact that my constant sleeping will be disrupted for band and work tomorrow. If this chapter sucks, ignore it, because the real drama will be beginning with the next chapter. ;)**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>The last leg of their voyage proved uneventful, with placid seas and friendly winds to pull the fleet of five into a small bay off the coast of Mexico. Angelica stood with the <em>Most Holy Trinity's <em>rigging at her feet and scanned the shore for any sign of her beloved ship, or the bastard Captain whose blood she was pining for. A sigh of defeat left her lips as her hand clasped a rope dangling uselessly in the wind, and allowed her body to fall to the deck below. Jack stood there waiting, resting against the mast with his head back and eyes closed; his slightly drunken form enjoying the feel of the sun warming his skin.

"Nothing," she grumbled. "The _Queen_ isn't around this area, but she could be anywhere considering she will sail without a single man aboard. What are we supposed to do now? How to we know the one-legged man is even here?"

Jack huffed and pushed himself from his position; maneuvering himself behind the puzzled captain and reaching forward to gently encircle her wrist. She tried to turn and question his actions, but his hand shot out and grasped her hip; steadying her and keeping her from moving. "Angelica, love...look into that forest, and tell me what you want most in this world."

Moments of silence followed his request before her words finally emerged. "I want revenge," she hissed, absently moving her hand to cover his own. "I want the _Queen_, so I may sail in the name of my father."

"And who is it you have to find to get all that?"

"The one-legged man," she whispered, her voice full of fire and venom as he slipped his compass into her hand.

"Then close your eyes," he murmured against her ear. "And think of him."

Understanding his intentions, she did as she was told and let her anger and hatred spill from the crevices of her mind. He watched the needle spin and turn from one direction to the other while her fingers gripped his own tightly. The red arrow slowed and spun, jerking as if undecided where to go, before stopping and pointing to the trees leading to the south west.

"There. Now you have your heading," Jack informed, lingering against her for a few final seconds before he stepped back and extracted his compass from her grasp. "So, give your orders."

"I only need a few men to come with us," she reasoned; her dark chocolate eyes bright as she tried to implore him for help. "Maybe...two or three good fighters from each ship, and the rest will stay behind and tend to the ships under the other captains' command."

Confusion sparked within his gaze, as one of Jack's eyebrows curiously crept up towards his hairline. His right hand raised dramatically, before he pointed to her and smiled a brilliant smile. "Tell me love...what is it that you mean, exactly, about 'us'?"

"I mean exactly what I say. You will be coming with me, and we will leave the fleet in the command of our other three captains and our first mates."

"Angelica-"

"No, Jack," she interrupted, that once helpless glimmer in her eyes now replaced with a stronger, more determined spark. "You asked for my orders, and here they are. You will go to each ship, ask each captain to send three of his best soldiers to shore with me, and within the half hour, we will disembark and go about searching for the one-legged man. Gibbs will command the _Pearl_, while Fernandez will stand in my place. I will place Joseph in command over the fleet and they will hide themselves until further notice."

A stabbing pain struck Jack right in the gut as he looked over his shoulder to view the towering masts of his ship, decorated with the snapping canvas of his black sails. The dark wood and swaying rigging of his beauty always gave him a sense of home, but once he returned his eyes to the Spaniard standing patiently before him, he remembered exactly why he was here with her, and not in Tortuga drinking away the hours of his life and throwing away his money to the bodies of soiled wenches.

_'She means more...'_

"Yes my Commodore."

~*~*A+J*~*~

"Lower the boats!"

At that call, a small dinghy from each ship lowered into the water, while men scaled the side of their vessels to take their seats and cast off towards the shore. Jack shot one last longing look to the deck he stood upon before he followed his own men; rum bottle in hand and ready for the stresses lurking in the nearby forest. Angelica watched with amusement as Jack's separation anxiety showed plainly in his eyes, before she waved her first mate closer to her side. "Command the _Trinity_ in my absence," she ordered. "Captain Knight will lead the fleet, but it will be your responsibility to keep this ship hidden. I don't want any unfriendly eyes within those woods growing suspicious."

"_S__í__, Comodoro_. We will remain covered," Fernandez answered, his hand crossing over his chest in promise when the men from the _Trinity_ began to lower themselves towards the water.

"Excellent," Angelica accepted, placing her hat on her head before she turned to Fernandez fully and smiled at the sight of his bright, wide eyes. She touched his hand and brought him out of his professional reverie; his muscles relaxing as he turned to face the strong Captain he so admired. "_Mant__é__ngase a salvo mi amigo_," she whispered, squeezing his hand finally before she left the helm to Fernandez's command and lowered herself to the boat awaiting her.

The ocean waves rocked their dinghy back and forth while the five large ships looming behind them looked like terrifying monsters hungry for flesh and blood. Unsettling currents snapped beneath the small boat's undersides, and by the time Angelica and her men reached the shore, they were being thrown around forcefully as the departure of the fleet shot energy through the once still ocean. Their clothes were soaked, and sand stuck to them uncomfortably as they gained their footing on the shore; the wind snapping against them as a barely-there swatch of black colored the very distant horizon.

"A storm is brewing," one man admired from the shore. "It's best we go our way."

"Aye," she agreed, closing her eyes momentarily to remember the precise location Jack's compass pointed her. "Let's go. We don't have time to waste."

~*~*A+J*~*~

Jack grumbled as he pushed his way through the thick foliage that seemed to stretch towards him with all malicious intent of tripping him and breaking his ankles. He swung his sword around wildly, cursing and drinking from his rum bottle after every time he declared how much he hated nature. Angelica led her crew from the front, Jack's compass in hand and the rounded top of her sword settled comfortably against the center of her palm. So far, they had been hiking through the woods for hours on end with no sign of life before them. The sun had begun to sink behind the trees, bugs bit and nipped at their skin, and almost every step they took alerted some sort of animal hidden in the shadow of the trees.

"Commodore," a man of her crew asked from behind her. "It's growing dark. Soon there won't be enough light for us to see three steps ahead of us. We should set up camp, and wait until the morning."

"I suppose your right," she sighed, dropping the hand that held Jack's compass and looking up towards the twilight sky. "Take men with you Edward. Gather firewood."

"Aye, Commodore," Edward said, taking off into the woods with the others, leaving only Jack and Angelica to remain behind in the forest clearing. Jack took the time to his advantage, and heavily plopped down onto his haunches; kicking his legs out and sighing as the lip of his rum bottle reached his mouth once more.

"Bloody insects," Jack grumbled, slapping at a mosquito that landed on his arm before he waved away the array of bugs that seemed to swarm his head. "The death to the bastards wouldn't bring a tear to my eye."

Angelica laughed sweetly before scanning the area, and making her way to a group of trees towards the back of the clearing. Using her knife, she hoisted herself further up the tree, and pulled down a long branch decorated in shimmering green leaves. Jack cursed loudly once more, smacking his cheek painfully before she crouched beside him and gently took his chin between her fingers.

"Relax, _bobo_," she smirked, tenderly allowing the pads of her fingers to touch the reddening area of his cheek. "No use slapping yourself stupid. That should be my job if such a time comes when it is needed."

He frowned as her fingers slid from his skin, while his dark eyes followed her hand as it moved to the branch of leaves she had pulled down moments earlier. She picked off one of the many leaves and took his chin into her fingers once more, bringing the leaf closer to his cheek before he jerked away nervously. "What is that, exactly?" he asked, wary of the many rashes and sores that could be brought upon a man unsure of the flora around him.

"_¡__Gallina! __¡__Deja de moverse! _It's not going to kill you," Angelica grumbled, jerking his chin back into position before she placed the leaf against his cheek and used it to spread the soft oils across his skin. "It's eucalyptus. The oil on eucalyptus leaves help ward off mosquitoes."

"And your sure that's all it does?" he grumbled, suppressing the want to close his eyes as she slid the oils from the leaves across his face, neck, and arms.

"I'm positive," she chuckled, smearing some of the oils across her cheeks and arms, before she settled herself beside him and turned her gaze to the trees before them. "I need your help, therefore, killing you would be of absolutely no benefit to me."

Jack smirked and sipped at his rum once more, glancing to the side to see her eyes dazed and unfocused, staring directly into the forest. "Angelica," he whispered, catching her attention and bringing a slight frown to her plump lips. "Now, now love. It's not the time for you to start keeping things from me."

"Don't flatter yourself, Sparrow," Angelica shot back in her usual tone. "I don't have to tell you my every thought."

"You hide things well, sweetness. It's a strong quality on your part...always gives you a sense of surprise, but that is only to those who know nothing about you. Tell me what is bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me-"

"You're lying," Jack interrupted, a smile lighting his face when he witnessed the angered fire that sparked within her sensual chocolate eyes. "I can argue with you all night love...though that seems to be a sad waste of a perfect night, so I suggest you tell me what's on your mind now, instead of waiting and having me pester you while the rest of the crew is here to listen."

"_No dir__è__ nada_," she insisted, the darkness descending upon them and making it almost impossible to see each other despite how close they were sitting.

"Come on, my love. Tell Jacky. Besides, we both know I have ways of making you talk."

"Oh really?" she laughed, rolling her eyes in the darkness before she felt his fingers dance tenderly up the side of her neck. Her eyes closed and her breath remained stuck in her throat as his rough skin touched briefly behind her ear before he went about trailing the line of her jaw; stopping only to grasp her chin and turn her head towards his. Even with their proximity it was difficult to see him, but that cocky gleam illuminated in his eyes did nothing but piss her off.

"Really," he assured, laughing triumphantly as she reached up and tore his hand away from her.

"If I tell you what is bothering me, will you leave me alone?"

"You tell me what's going on in that pretty head of yours and for the rest of the night my attention will remain solely on my rum."

"I'm scared," Angelica confessed easily, her voice still holding it's usual strong and unrelenting tone, which brought Jack into a state of confusion.

"Of what?"

"Of many things. I'm scared about the things that will happen, about what I might find, about the fact that I might not emerge from this with my life," she whispered, sighing softly before shaking her head. "I'm simply wondering if it is all worth it."

"And is it?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"You are," Jack smiled, reaching over and settling his hand over her own which rested against her knee. "But you're not here alone. You'll never be alone."


	15. Downhill Spiral

**An: Here is the next installment. Sorry I'm updating this so late in the day, but I wasn't able to work on it much throughout this week on account of me being sick, and sleeping most of it away.**

**Oh well, it's here now. :)**

**Twitter: twitter(dot)com(slash)alexosaurus**

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><p>The day was almost as dark as the night once the storm clouds stretched over the heads of the crew trekking further through the forest. They were all growing weak and weary from walking for the past three days, but Angelica failed to stop, and constantly pushed forward in the direction Jack's compass pointed her. Further and further into their journey, the trees grew thicker, and the undergrowth became more and more vicious; turning from gentle ferns into lines of thorns and briars that tore at skin, hair, and clothes. Her skin burned as they emerged into a secluded clearing; hundreds of small red lines marring her arms accompanied by one extremely painful cut present along her cheek. Her heated blood slid from her split skin, and as thunder roared behind them, she felt a strong hand grasp her forearm.<p>

"Angelica, we need to stop here and find some shelter before this storm hits," Jack said, gently pulling her to the side in hopes of taking her mind off of her prize for a small moment. "It's not safe for us to continue."

"We'll be fine Jack! We have to keep going as long as possible before this storm hits, or we might loose the one-legged man's trail. We're close," she ended on a whisper. "I can feel it...which is why we can't just stop now."

"Love, this compass will show you wherever he is as long as you search for him-"

"That's not the point," she interrupted, the wind from the oncoming storm helping in snapping her umber hair against her cheeks and neck. "He's close...I'm not going to stop now. For all we know, he is right around the corner, and I can have my sword through his back before you take your next breath. Jack, we can't stop now...I can't stop now. I know he is here, and I need to finish this once and for all."

"You can't go off on your own, Angelica. There are more dangers in these forests than some mangy pirates-"

"Then come with me."

"No, it's-"

"I've been in more dangerous situations than a storm, Sparrow! This is my chance to get what I want, and I'm sure as hell not going to let some wind and rain keep me from doing so. Now, you can either come with me, or not. At this point it doesn't really matter. If you so choose to stay, then I suppose we will meet up here when the deed is done," she commanded, her wild eyes looking into every fearful gaze emanating from the crew gathered behind Jack. "Find shelter. Keep yourselves safe. I don't know when I will return, but in case I don't...follow the code."

"Aye, Commodore," the men agreed, eagerly splitting up in search of wood to put a roof over their heads, while Angelica quickly turned on her heel and proceeded into the forest.

"Now, dammit Angelica!" Jack growled, once more catching up with her and grasping her elbow. "Stop being so bloody ignorant. If, and a strong if at that, Barbossa is anywhere near us, running right into his arms isn't going to help you get your ship back. You might as well take my pistol and point it between your eyes."

"What happened to never being alone?" she spat, snapping her arm from his grasp and unsheathing her sword so she could place and cool metal against his heated, sweaty neck. "You told me I wasn't in this alone, and the one time I actually need help from you, you go off spouting nonsense about my safety. We've been in danger since we left Tortuga, Jack! This is where we find out where loyalties lie. Now, are you going to follow me, or not."

"I'm not letting you go-"

"You have no choice," she hissed, sheathing her sword and stepping backwards as the thunder grew louder and the rain started to hit the leaves at the very tops of the trees. Lightning flashed overhead, and for a split second he could see the pain in her eyes, but as quickly as it appeared it disappeared, and he was left with nothing more than a scornful gaze. "Last chance."

"Angelica..."

"Good bye, Jack," she finalized, walking backwards through the leaves that bent at the weight of the rain drops falling on them. His anger was evident, and he turned his back to her for a split second to regain his composure and keep him from chaining her to his side. He sighed, and lightning struck once more, following by the crunching of a far away tree that fell to the ground in its final moments of life. He expected for her to be standing there still, hoping he would change his mind, but when he turned with her name on his lips, she was gone.

"Captain!" a man from the crew cried over the gales of the storm. "We've fashioned a shelter that should be strong enough to hold against the wind. We didn't have much, but we tried to place close to the trees where the force of the gusts shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Right. Good job mate. I'm going to have to ask you to do something for me."

"Anything, Captain."

"Stay here with the others. Keep them in line. I have other pressing needs I must attend too."

"Aye, aye!" the man agreed, turning towards the others and gathering with them in their shelter within the trees, while Jack grumbled and wished the rum in his bottle from earlier had lasted until this time. He pushed through the greenery before him; his skin and clothing becoming soaked immediately as the water from the leaves jumped off and found a new home on him. The ground below him was muddy and unsteady, sending him skidding and sliding in places where he wasn't already sinking to his ankles. He could barely see through the darkness, but small indicators here and there alerted him of Angelica's trial. Though it had only been minutes since they had been apart, it seemed that she had taken off in a dead sprint towards Barbossa, because even after an hour, she was no where in sight.

Weak, tired, bleeding and muddy; Jack ducked under a collection of bushes until he reached a dry spot off his usual path. He slumped tiredly against the trunk of a tree, and closed his eyes as the aches in his body made way for the worry that was building deep within his chest. The thunder was directly over him now, crashing and crying in pure agony and terror, while lightning struck in all directions; bringing destruction in its wake. The once light rainfall had now turned into a steady downpour, and without his compass, Jack realized he had no idea where to go.

Her tracks had washed away, and every broken branch seemed to blend in with its counterpart bent by the wind. There was no clear indication where she could have gone, and no magnitude of volume from his tongue could overpower the howls of nature above him. It was hopeless, and he didn't know what to do.

Even worse... he had no rum.

In his fatigue he closed his eyes; his hand resting on the hilt of his sword in hopes that this moment of rest would give him enough energy to carry on. Thunder crashed once more, and lightning shot across the sky. Rain pelted the leaves above him, and the wind pushed through the trees enough so that it swirled around him; circling around the soothing smell of fresh rainfall.

He meant only for a moment of rest, but against his intentions, Jack Sparrow couldn't help but fall asleep.

~*~*A+J*~*~

The ground under her was soft, and warm, but all she felt through her were aches. Her legs were numb and her hips were sore. The slightest of movement in her back caused tears to come to her eyes, and her shoulders pulsed and thumped from their strained positions. Her eyes burned as she opened them, and as she took in her surroundings, her mind was nothing more than a mass of confusion. She felt a strong steak against her back, and a chaffing against her wrists. The sound of metal hit her ears hard every time she moved, and she couldn't help but whimper in pain at the headache pushing against her skull.

"Oi! The lass is awake! Go 'n tell 'da Cap'n."

"Does he have to know right now? Can't we get some time wit' 'er?"

"No ya idiot! Go tell 'da Cap'n! Now!"

"_Te dos idiotas c__á__llate la boca_," she growled, squinting against the sunlight until she caught view of a dirty and almost toothless man staring at her. "Can I help you?" she asked sarcastically, before the man looked over her head and smiled an evil grin.

"That ain't a question you should be askin' me, lass."

"_¿Qué demonios estás hablando de ti idiota chocho_," Angelica spat, trying to force against the bonds around her wrist so she could turn and see who the man was looking at. Though, once she began to struggle, she felt something sharp and cool touch under her chin; the sharpened blade instantly pulling a small line of blood to slide down her neck.

"Calm your tongue, Miss Teach," a smooth voice soothed, his one hand forcefully grabbing her chin and squeezing so tight that it was physically impossible for her to speak. His long, darkened nails scratched against her face, and she closed her eyes in hopes that she would keep herself from pushing against the knife pressed closely to her throat. "No need to go about insulting my men. They're just following orders."

Suddenly, the mystery man turned her neck to the side before pulling back his grasp and knife. The sudden movement brought the world to swim before her eyes, and the concussed Spaniard held her breath in hopes that the few contents in her stomach would remain in her stomach. She coughed, and tensed her muscles; forcing her eyes open when she heard the man behind her make his way to stand before her crumbled form.

There, standing in all of his glory, was the one-legged man; his chapped lips pulled back in a gnarled smile to reveal his yellowed teeth. His hand rose to his chin; methodically stroking his beard a single time before he barely turned to one of his men, and beckoned for his services. "Bring the lady some of my wine. She looks parched."

"I don't want your wine," she spat immediately, sitting rigid as her hands worked behind her in hopes of finding something to pick the lock of her shackles. "I want nothing from you except your blood on my blade."

Barbossa smirked, shaking his head and taking the goblet extended to him for himself. "Suit yourself. Though, I should tell you, there be no use in fighting those bonds. You won't find a way to escape."

"Cap'n," a man called, gaining both Angelica and Barbossa's attention. "The ship be ready for ye."

"Excellent. Go help the rest of the men pack up our camp site and load everything onto the ship."

"How did you find me?" she spoke up after the pirate left; her face screwed up in hatred as the questions concerning their situation started to arise in her head. "Why are you just camping here. I thought you were searching for-"

"The city of gold?" Barbossa asked, sitting on a box and biting into an apple with a satisfied smile. "There be no such thing Miss Teach. The man you encountered in Tortuga was nothing more than another one of my pirates; given leave and a pocket full of gold as long as he found one of your people and fabricated our story. No, what I was really looking for was you. After our little...disagreement at the fountain, I knew that you would emerge with your life intact...and thus you would be comin' after me ship-"

"The _Queen Anne's Revenge_isn't your ship!" Angelica growled with enough fire to make a wild panther whimper in fear. "She was my father's, and she should be mine!"

"That's not how the pirating world works, lass," he smirked, examining his apple before throwing it into a nearby collection of bushes. "Nothing...and no one...is ever as they seem."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm not a man to be pointin' fingers, Miss Teach," Barbossa stated, standing and flickering his eyes to two men walking up behind the wooden stake they had Angelica tied to. Forcefully, they unlocked her bindings, and shoved her forward with enough force to allow them enough time to step around the stake and pull her to her feet. She groaned in pain and tried to push against her captors, but the pain in her head was unbearable and she could barely keep a grasp on consciousness.

"You're a very intelligent woman...I'm sure you'll figure it out," he finished, chuckling darkly before he waved his hand dismissively. "Take her to the ship. Lock her up below decks."

"Yes, Cap'n," one of her captors agreed, dragging her away before a man emerged from the foliage behind the Captain, and moved to stand by his side.

"I must say. Your approach was creative...and it worked."

"As long as you keep your end of the deal, I'll keep mine."

"Worry not, friend," Barbossa assured, pulling a coin purse from within his coat and dropping it in the man's hand. "I have this, and much more to come if your plan works."


	16. Author's Note

Hello all! This is just a really quick author's note to apologize for the lack of chapters for the past couple weeks. During the summer, having a complete week to work on a chapter was perfect, but now that school started and I'm bringing home ten pounds of books as well as practicing for band Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's gotten hard to write.

All I'm asking is that you forgive me, and that I will indeed make it up to you guys!

This past weekend, I planned on writing, but we had a football game about two hours away, which took up my Saturday night, and my Sunday (which was devoted to sleeping afterwards). This weekend though, I have nothing to occupy me, and a house all to myself. Rest assured, I will be trying to write vigorously and type up a couple chapters for the next few weeks.

Be patient with me, don't worry, I'm not giving up. :)


	17. It'll Make Sense Eventually

**AN: I want to apologize again for taking so long to update. I've been busy, but was able to conjur this up last night. I also apologize if this is seemingly out of character. I might need some more working snapping into my pirate-y mindset. :)**

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><p>The world beneath her rocked back and forth as consciousness returned to her. Her eyes squinted in the darkness; searching for something, anything to help her recognize where she was. Her wrists burned and her muscles ached as she pushed herself up from the rancid floor her body had found when she, somehow, lost her senses. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her neck from a single point on her skull. Gently, and with great care, her fingers touched that point, and felt the smooth texture of dried blood beneath the strands of her hair. Groaning, she attempted to pull herself to her feet and survey that which was around her, but failed miserably when a barely-there turn of her head sent a heavy wave of sickness into the depths of her body.<p>

"_Gran dios de arriba. Lo que me pasó_," she asked herself quietly; her voice cracking and rough from a lack of drink.

In a slow, tedious manner, Angelica was able to push away the waves of nausea long enough for her to stand on her feet. Her legs were numb, and failed to contain her weight; her body stumbling forward until she slammed into a wall of metal. Against her better judgment, she cried out in pain; tears of agony and misery prickling down her face and parting the dirt and grime that had settled on her cheeks. Her numb fingers groped at the metal before her, until she recognized the cylindrical shapes and gripped them with a vice that turned her knuckles white. The scenery around her was dark, but after blinking multiple times, the world appeared to her, and anger soon replaced any pain or fear.

She had seen these bars before...she had seen this prison before; hell...she knew this prison like the back of her hand. She knew the pile of bones in the corner of her cell when he was still alive, and even though they were eaten bare by the rats that found a home below the main decks, his skull still emulated his face. That man was left in this cell to die when he failed to listen to her father's instructions many years ago; trying to rise up against him in hopes of turning the ship around and sailing away from the certain death her father had planned for his men. She remembered the fear in his eyes as he was thrown into this pit, and she remembered his cries of agony when he tried to escape from his cell and was rewarded with two broken legs.

"The _Revenge_," she whispered to the darkness around her; her hands clenching and grinding against the rust lining the bars of her cell. She felt a certain relief touch her at being aboard her ship once more, but quickly grew unsettled when the severity of her situation came to the forefront of her mind. Her clothes were tattered, her stomach growled, and her throbbing headache seemed to worsen with every rise and fall of the waves below the ship. Her throat was dry, she was without any sort of weapon, and pure exhaustion made her bones feel as if they were as heavy as iron. The feeling of hopelessness sucked away the last remnants of her strength, and she could do nothing but bend her knees, and allow her body to crumble to the floor.

The sound of scraping wood hit her ringing ears heavily; a small glow of light being cast into the dark hallway. She could hear someone giving orders, but was unable to focus enough to identify exactly who was speaking, or who was descending into the brig at a painstakingly slow pace. The light from the torch being carried by her mysterious visitor burned her eyes as he came to stand before her cell, that was, until an all-too-familiar face emerged into sight.

"Jack?" she whispered, blinking her eyes in hopes she wasn't hallucinating. "Is that you?"

"Aye, love," he assured in his usual smooth tone; depositing his torch on the wall before crouching down to her level and looking straight into her bloodshot eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been imprisoned on my own ship..." she grumbled sarcastically, as she continued to stare at him with a confused look coloring her gaze. "But...why are you here?"

"Would you rather I not be?"

Her eyes narrowed, and the feeling of restlessness churned in the pit of her stomach. Her tired eyes scanned him; taking into note that the clothes he wore were fresh and clean, and almost all traces of dirt had been removed from his skin. The lines of kohl around his eyes were freshly done, and as her eyes fell towards the ground, she noticed a ring of keys in his possession. Anger flared in her chocolate eyes, and Jack had just enough time to push himself back and away from her cell, before she threw her tired and battered body as close to the bars as possible, and reached through in hopes of grabbing the bastard traitor before her.

"How could you?" she hissed, her voice cracking roughly with the added emotion to her already parched throat. "The one-legged man told me that no one is as they seem...but I would have never thought that you could stoop _this_ low. What did he promise you? My weight in gold? Or perhaps my ship? A fleet of the most powerful and fastest vessels known to man, so that you can take over the seven seas?"

"Angelica...allow me to explain," he pleaded softly, still keeping himself on the far side of the hall. "I have not betrayed you-"

"Then why am I the one stuck in the _maldito_ cell...and you are the one who is free," she spat, using the bars to pull herself to her feet.

Jack rose with her, his body swaying in contemplation before he took a purposeful step forward and dared to stand nose to nose with her. "I'm doing this for your own good, love-"

"_¡__Mentiroso! _I know you Jack," Angelica growled, sneaking her hand through the bars and firmly gripping the front of his shirt. "You do nothing for the good of others. You think only for yourself."

"Listen to me," he hushed, his voice and eyes taking on a whole new level of seriousness as his hand reached forward and held her wrist in a tender, but firm grip. "You've been a pirate long enough to know what happens to women who are taken prisoner. Do you have any idea what the intentions of lonely men are when a beautiful woman like yourself is caged like an animal? You are no longer a person to them, if you ever were in the first place."

"I can take care of myself, so don't think you can say that I am in this cell because you are protecting me. If you've ever cared enough to want to protect me, which I severely doubt, you would have come with me when I sought the one-legged man during the storm. Had you been with me, neither of us would be in this position...and I could very well have my ship by now."

"You underestimate Barbossa," he whispered, stepping even closer to her cell, and holding her wrist tightly so she couldn't step back. "He is not a man that can be defeated easily. I know better than anyone...I shot that bastard dead many years ago, and yet here he is."

"So, what? Are you saying that this is our only option?" she asked, trying to twist away from him, but failing miserably.

"Yes," Jack assured, letting her go, and taking a step back. "I was able to contact Barbossa after that man from Tortuga said he was searching to Cibola. Even after everything that we have seen, I knew he believed that seven cities made entirely of gold were far too fanciful. He spouted that story to gain your attention...and at that point, he had it. Had I not made a deal with him when I found him in a pub a few cities away, and we ran into the situation blind, you would have been killed instead of knocked crazy and thrown into the brig. I told him that I could lead you to him, and that I could watch after you...keep you in line, until he finds a befitting punishment for you."

"Like using my body to scrub muscles off the underside of _my_ ship?"

"Quite possibly if you continue to speak loud enough for him to hear," the Captain snapped, lowering his voice once more. "As long as things go smoothly, he won't find a befitting punishment before we attack. Gibbs knows. He will explain it to the others and urge the fleet to follow, provided that your first mate finds this situation as important as it is. I'll talk to Barbossa later tonight, and see if I can't arrange better arrangements for you. If this is going to work...if you want this to work, you need to be strong."

"How can I believe a single word that leaves your lips, Jack Sparrow...when you've kept this plan from me the entire time?" she asked, backing as far into her cell as possible. "How do I know you aren't going to betray me again?"

"Because, love...I haven't betrayed you at all," he soothed. "You're safe... Unless I give Barbossa the word, you will live, and I can say without a doubt in my mind that that may very well be the first time you can say that since you took on the code, and ventured into the sea."

Her eyes narrowed, and though the torch Jack had settled on the wall was dimming by the second, the pain and anger in her eyes blinded him with a light brighter than the sun. She felt betrayed, and she felt weak; two very familiar aspects to him, and any 'stirrings' he had for her seemed to explode into an uncontrollable inferno when he recognized that she had those looks because of him. He stepped up to her cell and wrapped his hand around the bars separating them; staring at her until her eyes dissolved into nothing more than freezing apathy. A soft sigh touched his lips, and he glanced down to his feet, before reuniting their gaze once more.

"Trust me, love. It'll make sense eventually."


End file.
